Bulawayo's Luveve Old Age Garden & Poultry: Income for Hard-Up Residents

In an interview with Brighton Banda, who has taken over from his late grandmother, the young man told ZDDT News that he is now fully employed at the garden, and is making ends meet from the project.

The present garden, and proposed poultry project, was established by ZDDT. The project is fast growing into a viable enterprise as more young people are becoming interested in farming and poultry, a ZDDT initiative in promoting a self-help attitude.

Asked when he did he join the garden, Banda said, “I was staying with my grandmother who has been involved in ZDDT projects. I used to accompany her to this garden in the pretext of helping her.

I then got retrenched from a company I was working for and it becomes a nightmare to get a job. I joined the ZDDT garden, and began with a few beds of vegetables. After realising that it was a viable income generating project, I resolved to stick by it ever since, after my grandmother passed on.”

Banda told ZDDT News that he has been able to pay his rentals and also buying mealie-meal and meat from cash realised from selling vegetables. He added that he is also going to attend ZDDT leadership skills workshops, an opportunity he said will prepare him for aiming to become an elected leader.

According to Banda, ZDDT has inspired him into becoming a small farmer after visiting their projects around Bulawayo and Gweru.

“I saw myself becoming a local leader, as soon as I complete ZDDT’s training workshops in self-help management and local leadership. I have been working with a number of older people. I asked myself what would stop me from becoming one of ZDDT’s results oriented students.” said Banda.

Angela Mason, ZDDT’s Projects Manager, endorses Banda’s sentiments and approach towards his selflessness and inspiration. She also praised Banda for taking self-help projects seriously rather than begging in the streets.

“I find it inspiring that he is thinking that way and this is a good example to other youth. Because he is growing personally, he will achieve greater heights and lead others along the same path.” said Angela.

The Projects Manager also added that, “The young man is not in the streets begging or smoking glue, but busy with self-help projects initiated by ZDDT. He is surely going to help the future generation through inspiration.”