Folweni water project volunteers schooled in farming

The Wise Wayz Water Care (WWWC) Project has taken beneficiaries from volunteers to future entrepreneurs.

“Wise Wayz Water Care is not only about keeping our rivers and streams clear of solid waste and alien plants. One of the project interventions is to develop commercial agriculture entrepreneurs,” said Nomali Msomi of Acacia, one of the companies that assists the team.

The aims of this intervention are:

* To address food security challenges in marginalised communities.

* To support sustainable livelihoods of the beneficiaries through developing them into entrepreneurs who will independently generate their own income.

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It has been a long and interesting journey for the WWWC agriculture trainees. For some the journey started in early August, for others, the journey started in mid-September, and the journey culminated on Thursday, 16 November, when all 17 trainees graduated from Buhle Farmers Academy.

In early August, eight members of WWWC packed their bags and left KZN, some of them for the first time, to travel all the way to Delmas in Mpumalanga to begin a three-and-a-half month training programme on vegetable production.

This vegetable production team was joined in September by nine additional members, who attended poultry production training over two months. They were trained from the A to the Z of farming, with a focus on practical, academic and entrepreneurial components. Buhle Farmer’s Academy will give the trainees the expertise and skills to set up their own agricultural business.

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On arrival, the vegetable production trainees were given a section of land, seedlings and guidance and skills on how to produce the best vegetables they could. Topics included land preparation, planting, fertilisation, pest control, irrigation, harvesting and marketing.

At the graduation ceremony for both the vegetable and poultry production trainees, WWWC was thrilled that all 17 of its trainees graduated. Not only did all graduate but some were recognised for their outstanding efforts.

In the poultry production class of roughly 20 people, Mthembeni Shange won the award for most improved trainee, which was a wonderful accomplishment. In the vegetable production class of about 25 people, Njabulo Shusha won the award for most committed and enthusiastic trainee.

The teams are now back home and working on their business plans for their next ventures – from volunteers to future entrepreneurs.