The Sunday News
Nkosilathi Sibanda, Business Correspondent
THE Youth in Agriculture Apex Council Board (YAACB) has allocated piglets to a group of former prisoners, Victors’ Trust and a women and girl-child empowerment non-governmental organisation, Upfumi Kumadzimai-Inotho Kubomama Trust as part of its efforts to enhance self-sustainable farming projects for vulnerable groups.
The ex-convicts, who were recently released from jail under the Presidential Amnesty are set to enter into a joint venture with Upfumi Kumadzimai-Inotho Kubomama Trust as in a post-prison rehabilitation initiative which seeks to help to capacitate prisoners, ex-convicts and young people.
Following the nationwide roll-out of piglets under the Presidential piggery programme, YAACB sought to help the two organisations establish a pig project, seen as a viable agro-business scheme. In an interview, Upfumi Kumadzimai-Inotho Kubomama Trust programmes co-ordinator, who is also YAACB Bulawayo chairperson, Mrs Nonceba Mwedzi-Agwaniru said upon receiving request for partnership from Victors’ Trust, they saw it fit to assist, to source piglets from the Youth in Agriculture Apex Board.
The Government donated 200 piglets to the Youth in Agriculture Apex Council Board (YAACB) as part of efforts to increase pork production in the country. According to Mrs Mwedzi-Agwinuri, under the Presidential piggery rollout, Bulawayo and Matabeleland North were allocated 10 piglets each.
“We received the request from Victors’ Trust and forwarded to the Youth in Agriculture Apex Board to assist on us getting more allocation under the Presidential scheme. We have been assured by the national chairperson Mr John Muchenje that there will be more piglets for Matabeleland for youth organisations. From the piglets we received as a province, we are going to share with Victors’ Trust. We are to assist the former prisoners start their project.”
The rearing of pigs is seen as a viable business undertaking that Upfumi Kumadzimai-Inotho Kubomama Trust could pursue working on a smart agriculture partnership with other organisations in the countrywide.
“We chose to go with piggery because we wanted to take advantage of the Presidential rollout scheme allocation. Through the Youth in Agriculture Apex Council board, it was wiser for us to take that opportunity and in so doing help empower other young people like the Victors’ Trust who want to do farming.”
Mrs Mwedzi-Agwinuri said her organisation is indebted to the support they get from Government in helping sustain their farming activities.
She said Upfumi Kumadzimai-Inotho Kubomama has also helped the former prisoners to lease land from a local church Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), where they can rear the pigs.
“We have not only decided to give the former prisoners piglets so that they can start their project, but to help them get land. The AFM church branch in Saucerstown has agreed to accommodate the piggery project. The Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs (Judith Ncube) has played a part in sourcing funding so that the ex-prisoners purchase feed for the pigs. The minister was very supportive,” she said.
The ex-convicts under Victors’ Trust are also running a small poultry project from their base in Luveve where they keep 200 chickens. She said her organisation will also collaborate with Victors’ Trust on purchasing of feed.
