Area 24 Young Man Turns Pig Farmer, Employs Five People
Ellard also advises the youth to be hardworking, dedicated and must always be persevering.
LILONGWE, Malawi — At a time when most young men are struggling to get formal employment, an Area 24 young man has decided to venture into entrepreneurship, offering employment to five people at his farm known as Ellard Farms where he is also rearing over 30 pigs, writes Christopher Jimu.
Chilunga Ellard, 31, says he got inspiration from his late father who was also a successful businessman.
"I got encouraged by my dad who was and will always be my role model. He was always there for me through thick and thin and even though I failed my Business Administration examinations at Lilongwe Technical College he always encouraged me to venture into entrepreneurship," Ellard says.
Ellard says he started with three pigs after he sold over 30 hides to Chinese nationals based in Area 15.
He says he got over 60,000 kwacha ($75) after selling the hides and he used the money to buy the pigs.
"I used to buy the hides from abattoirs and sell them to Chinese nationals. At one point I made about 60,000 kwacha which was enough for me to start pig farming in 2020. Three years later the pigs started multiplying and today I have over 30 pigs and business is proving very lucrative," Ellard says.
Ellard says he slaughters the pigs himself and apart from selling the pork he has also started making pork sausages.
"The pork sausages are very popular that during other days they are out of stock. I want to challenge fellow young men to use their talents and venture into entrepreneurship instead of waiting for government or other companies to employ them," Ellard advises.
Ellard also advises the youth to be hardworking, dedicated and must always be persevering.
"Failing in school or college should not be the end of any person's dream. Many young men lose focus because of addictions and they are a big distraction. These days many young men indulge in immoral behaviors like drugs and alcohol abuse and in the end destroy their careers," Ellard reasons.
Ellard is married and has one child.