Youth in Monkey-bay, Mangochi, Transform Lives Through Farming Cooperative
Young individuals in Monkey Bay's MOYEMCO have transformed their lives through pepper and sunflower farming, adding value to products and creating items for sale, leading to positive changes.
MONKEY-BAY, Mangochi, Malawi - A group of young individuals in Monkey Bay, operating under the club name Monkey Bay Youth Empowerment Cooperative (MOYEMCO), has experienced positive life changes through their venture into pepper and sunflower farming, adding value to their products, and creating various items for sale, writes Bertha Gama.
The youth club members received comprehensive training from the Mangochi District Youth Office (DYO) on diverse business ventures, including pepper and sunflower farming. Inspired by this knowledge, they established MOYEMCO, with Francis Amos Banda as chairperson.
As a young family man, Banda attended the training sessions with hopes of improving his own life circumstances.
"After receiving training in skills development, financial literacy, and farming, we established the cooperative in 2021. We developed a business plan for pepper farming, utilizing a piece of land donated by Chiefs Mphande and Kasakha. In 2022, we harvested over 500 kilograms of pepper," Banda explained in an interview with AfricaBrief.
Banda revealed that the cooperative generated substantial profits from the pepper sales, which were reinvested in acquiring additional land and cultivating sunflowers. The remaining profits were shared among the cooperative members. He emphasized unity and teamwork within the group, a rarity in an era where farming is often associated with the elderly.
Gift Ajimu, another MOYEMCO member, expressed that the mindset of many young people in the area has shifted, recognizing farming as a viable business opportunity rather than a pastime.
Ajimu encouraged idle youth to join together, acquire skills training, and transform their lives and households.
Through MOYEMCO's training initiatives, 34 girls and 26 boys were educated in business farming techniques, specifically pepper and sunflower farming, enabling them to sell products like sunflower cooking oil and generate income for themselves.
In addition to expanding its business, MOYEMCO plans to purchase a machine for sunflower oil production. Currently relying on a manual machine that demands more manpower and time, the cooperative seeks to enhance efficiency.
Ajimu stated, "Our goal is to improve the livelihoods of people in our community, especially the youth, by providing them with various business farming skills. We aim to create equal job opportunities for youths and individuals in different communities."
Francis Makoto, a beneficiary of MOYEMCO, now possesses the means to economically support his family after joining the cooperative.
Makoto said, "Through MOYEMCO, I have gained valuable experience in farming as a business. In addition to sunflower and pepper farming, I also engage in maize farming, which helps feed my family and fulfil their basic needs."
Furthermore, using profits received from MOYEMCO's pepper and sunflower sales, Makoto established a barbershop.
Ellen Divala, a mother of six, expressed gratitude for the transformation in her life as a beneficiary of MOYEMCO.
She can now afford to pay her children's school fees and meet the basic needs of her family.
"With the profits we shared after selling pepper and sunflower oil in 2022, I started a poultry farming business, which has brought significant changes to my life. I am now able to support my family financially," Divala joyfully said.
MOYEMCO collaborates with Monkey-bay Youth Network and Kapichira Youth Network, aiming to empower youth and young women to become self-reliant.
Together, they strive to create a brighter future by providing opportunities for skill development and entrepreneurship.