BY BANELE MAGONGO
MBABANE – The Woman Farmer Foundation (WFF), alongside the International Trade Centre, has launched an internship program under the Eswatini Promoting growth through competitive alliances.
The foundation began working with two cooperatives in Ntfonjeni, Sisimo and Mavulandlela Multipurpose Cooperatives in 2022 where they have been offering training, input and technical support to over 100 bags of rice and baby vegetable farmers.
It is from these cooperatives that interns were sourced and engaged to work with Woman Farmer Foundation.
WFF supplied the respective cooperatives with essential shade nets to use towards developing demo plots as a means to expose them to climate adaptive agricultural methods. The inception of the internship program was derived from this strategic move.
It is stated that interns will receive hands-on training at the foundation’s training centre on tunnel and shade net farming techniques. In the end, interns selected for this program will acquire practical skills necessary to support their cooperative members in implementing climate adaptive farming practices.
Bongekile Maseko, an Agribusiness Officer for the Women Farmers’ Foundation, stressed the importance of equipping farmers with the skills to make the most of the shade nets.
She pointed out that there are techniques that can be used under shade nets that may not be applicable to open land farming, and that the internship program will introduce these techniques to the participants this will help them increase their profits and make the most of the shade nets.
The six-month internship for Phiwa Malangwane and Nomfundo Simelane, who are both affiliated with the Women Farmers’ Federation cooperatives, began last week.
The interns will gain experience and specialized training in protective farming techniques in addition to their general agricultural training.
It is hoped that this program will empower them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the agricultural sector.
The foundation’s Director, Sonia Paiva said: “This internship embodies our commitment to nurturing the next generation of agricultural professionals and underscores the importance of innovative practices like tunnel farming and climate smart agriculture in driving our nation forward.”
The Women Farmers’ Federation noted that this initiative is a significant step towards empowering the youth and promoting sustainable agricultural practices in Eswatini.
The program is also an opportunity to foster sustainable transformation within the cooperatives by enabling the interns to become champions of climate change adaptation not only within their cooperatives, but also within their communities.
The foundation encourages the interns to maximize their learning and skill development, and to share their knowledge and experience with their peers after the program ends, as well as strengthening their CVs.
