Nomsa Mliswa, who retained to Zimbabwe from the UK says she is making millions through farming.
She farms in Mhangura, Doma, Mashonaland West.
Speaking to The Feed ZW, Mary said :
You know, I am financially stable, I’m able to look after my children, I’m able to pay for my bills, I’m able to fly wherever I want to go because of farming.
So the land reform has been the best thing that has happened to me, and when you empower a woman, you empower women you empower a nation.
I live on a farm where there is over 500 people, we employ 300 people. We also do potatoes here, which distributes all over Zimbabwe.
As a woman, I’m able to do it, so allow me to actually also do my part, because I’m also contributing and doing the same work that men are doing.
So you know, men are still trying to get used to the fact that women are farmers. Men are trying to embrace us women who are on their own, because at the end of the day, they always think there is some men behind what you are doing.
But I think, slowly, they’re getting it.d
Women farmers can play different roles, they can be a wife. They can be a mother. They also can be a leader in a community, and people are looking up to women.
So once men, embrace that strength that women have got, they will understand because we have triple roles.
I love talking about smart partnerships because there are times when you cannot access command funding. In my case, I wasn’t well for a long time, I wasn’t able to go and queue up and jostle with everybody else, because sometimes there’s too much.
Too many people you’re pushing each other. I have a spinal injury, and I found that getting into smart partnership venture is the best thing that I’ve ever done.
The government supported that you don’t get into smart partnership, and a JV without the government signing those documents without your bank, supporting as well, and giving you guidance to say, Who is this person, where are they coming from, because you need to do a background check on who’s coming to partner you, because when you have these partnerships, there’s a lot of transferable skills.
There’s expertise that comes with smart partnership funding.
I didn’t go to school as a farmer, you know, agriculture school, so they come with expertise, we come with the land.
So it’s a win win situation the farm gets developed, if you look at the farm right now. They sent to people’s. The buildings are well researched, so there is a benefit for the farmer in the smart partnership.
And we also practice precision farming. We are mechanized. When we are now going into the fields and harvesting. We come up tops, there are a lot of opportunities in funding, you can be in animal husbandry, you know we can do poultry, you can do your goat rearing, you can do your field crops, you know you can make your money you’ll be self sustainable, you won’t be dependent on anybody, because you’re able to do your own thing in your own time, you’re able to plant and you can even have value addition where you have mealie meal, you get a grinding meal, are able to sell and make money, you’re able to look after your children.
So you know what I say to any young farmers out there. Come on, come and join the bandwagon, let’s go for it, women can do it, and Happy Women’s month.
Please watch the video above this post for more details.Â
