ESA FUNDS GOAT FARMING PROJECT FOR YOUTH

MBABANE - The Eswatini Sugar Association (ESA) has joined hands with World Vision in a fight against unemployment in rural areas.

This gesture will result in about 1 400 emaSwati being saved from the shackles of poverty. As a responsible corporate citizen, ESA deemed it befitting to complement government’s efforts by supporting the youth. ESA contributed a seed capital of E450 000 towards a goat farming project in two rural communities, which are Sithobela and Somntongo in the Shiselweni region. ESA’s Chief Executive Dr Phil Mnisi disclosed that the partnership with World Vision would reach out to the neediest members of the two communities.

Benefit

About 20 and 30 households will benefit from the project at Sithobela and Somtongo, respectively. This translates to 1 400 secondary beneficiaries, who are presumably family members making up the 50 households. Detailing the roll-out plan, World Vision Eswatini’s Director Tinah Mukunda said they would begin with scoping and awareness-raising exercises during which the young people will be chosen to participate in the project. Mukunda said a bulk of the funds would be directed towards land procurement, purchasing of does and bucks, animal feed, including medicines and vaccines, as an initial investment. “About half of the funds will then be invested in buying the goats, while the rest will cater for all other related needs,” she said.

Tribute

She then showered ESA with a glorious tribute for the kind gesture. Mukunda said World Vision Eswatini noted how recent events in the world and the country had increased unemployment, particularly among the youth. She said the prevailing state of affairs was most likely to create an angry and disgruntled society. “As such, World Vision feels this generous donation by ESA could not have come at a better time. Through the goat farming project, we will be breaking the cycle of poverty in the identified communities so that the young people can reach their full potential and become active positive contributors to the economy,” the director stated. She added that this would ensure that the youth transformed their local economies and supported their families.

Mukunda disclosed that the ESA donation had coincided with World Vision Eswatini’s endeavour to increase local resource mobilisation and reduce reliance on international donors. “This is crucial as the organisation celebrates 30 years of community impact through transformational development in Eswatini this year. We believe that we have come of age!” she stated. Mukunda also said ESA had taken the lead to substantially impact the lives of people who needed such great assistance the most. “As such, it can be said that ESA is among the best socially responsible corporates, who despite the setbacks brought about by COVID-19 and the national unrest still found it prudent to give back. This shows that the organisation cares and recognises that the success of any corporate is synonymous with the transformational development of the communities it exists in,” Mukunda said.

Directly

The director said it was the first time for World Vision to partner directly with ESA, on a project of such importance for the Eswatini youth. She recalled that ESA had, in the past, indirectly supported World Vision through the Esicojeni Foundation fundraising project, which impacted about 156 child-headed households in the Lubombo and Shiselweni regions. She recalled that the Esicojeni Foundation project, which was spearheaded by the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, increased subsistence agricultural production. Mukunda sounded hopeful that other corporates would emulate ESA’s generosity by supportingthe World Vision Eswatini’sdevelopment work. World Vision’s implementation covers about 65 per cent of the country, ensuring that it contributes to measurable outcomes. “The goal is to positively impact the lives of at least 406 000 vulnerable children and their communities by 2025.”

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