A NEW LEADER IN FARMING HAS EMERGED FINCLUDE PROJECT

The Financial Inclusion and Cluster Development (FINCLUDE) Project’s cluster approach has ushered in a new generation of informed and dedicated youth farmers who are determined to revolutionize the agriculture sector. This is a story of Nothando Matfombi Mkhonta, a 31- year-old vegetables farmer from Jubukweni Chiefdom under Nkhaba Inkhundla in the Hhohho region.

Why Youth

Direct targeting of youth allows FINCLUDE to better respond to the differentiated livelihood pathways and constraints faced by young men and women at different ages and in different stages of their life. Young female youth (ages 15 - 24) deserves special attention because of the double barriers they face, as women and as youth. They encounter social and cultural constraints, live in precarious conditions with high levels of vulnerability.

Highlight

Mrs Mkhonta’s 1.5 Ha farm is located at her residential home in Jubukweni where she farms on a full-time basis and lives with her husband Mr. Bongani Mkhonta and her 4-year-old daughter Lungiselelwe Mkhonta. Her journey in agriculture began in 2019 prior to joining the FINCLUDE project, when she was farming in isolation and without any mentorship. At inception, she planted 5000 green pepper seedlings and regretfully made a financial loss as a result of lacking the technical skills to grow the produce and failure to secure a market. At that point in time, agriculture didn’t seem to be a viable income generation option for Mrs Mkhonta and her family. She used to get her limited farming technical knowledge from YouTube and other online platforms and went as far as paying to attend farming classes offered by a private practitioner in Mbabane.