Newsroom

By Tshifiwa Muifha

“I have reached an age where making money does not excite me anymore. Giving back to my community, imparting knowledge through trainings and creating employment is my main concern.” The owner of Nyadzanga Nursery Me Selinah Mulovhedzi said this during an interview with Temo news reporter at her Nursery project in Vondwe village under central Agro-Ecological Zone. Me Selinah is a 75-year-old farmer who owns 200sqm nursery shades in a 2ha piece of land.

Nyadzanga nursery produces seedlings such as Spinach, beetroot, Spring onions, cabbages, Tomatoes, Green papers, and Chillies. She has been producing seedlings for the past 10 years. The seedlings are sold to local households, local cash crop farmers as well as other provinces.

Her love for farming dates back in 2007 when she started growing seedlings at her backyard for local households.

Me Selinah finds joy and contentment in imparting her seedling production knowledge and skills to Learnership students from Madzivhandila College of Agriculture, Mashamba and Thengwe Technical and Vocational Education Training colleges. According to Me Selinah, the project has employed 12 permanent workers and two casual workers.

She was able to acquire a 5-ha piece of land which will be used solely to produce maize, butternut, and peppers.

Meanwhile, Me Khodoga Joyce of Matanda Poultry farm in Matanda village under Western Agro-Ecological Zone is amongst the women who are making their mark in the farming industry. She started her Egg Layers farming project in 2012 after she could not find employment. The project has created permanent employment for 12 people. On a normal day the layers can produce more than 200 boxes of eggs which are sold on a contractual basis to retailers within Vhembe district. 

With the proceeds from her project, Joyce has managed to build extra four chicken houses, equip her workspace with Morden technology including egg grading and sealing machines which are able to grade and seal eggs from small, medium, large, and jumbo sizes.

According to Me Joyce, the women of 1956 paved a way for us when they marched to the Union Buildings to protest apartheid laws. “We, however, have the responsibility of taking the baton to the next level regardless of the industry we find ourselves in by creating employment for women, youth and men as well as eradicating hunger and poverty in our communities should be our priority as women.” Said Me Joyce.

Me Joyce believes in having a succession plan in place. To achieve this, she has been working closely with her daughter on day-to-day running of the enterprise. “When I am old and weary, for generations to come, Matanda Poultry farm will still exist.” said Joyce boastfully.