By Thoboloko Ntšonyane
MAFETENG
In a buzzing Thabaneng village, a few minutes outside Mafeteng, a group of women has joined forces to engage in farming activities both for nourishment and economic purposes.
In January this year, 15 women came together and formed the Leloaleng Nutrition Club, inspired by King Letsie III’s role as the African Union’s Nutrition Champion and Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Special Ambassador for Nutrition. This initiative was also a response to the growing unemployment challenges in the area.
The Club provides a platform for entrepreneurial ventures, empowering members to generate livelihoods through community-based nutritional programmes.
The Secretary of this club, ‘Mapaseka Lepelesana explained that their work is not just about farming but also educating new mothers about nutrition. “We go to clinics to speak with new mothers, encouraging them to farm and feed their babies. We are now champions of promoting nutrition among young mothers to prevent stunting in their children.”
Leloaleng Nutrition Club grows maize, different types of moroho (vegetables), greenpepper, peaches, grapes and chicken meat.
‘Mamookho Seseli, also a member, mentioned that they have just started and have not yet produced more for the market. They have appealed for funding and training opportunities to help scale their products.
She stated that they need shade nets to protect their crops from harsh weather conditions, as well as warmers to dry fruits and prevent them from going to waste. Seseli also mentioned that they require training on keeping business records.
‘Mateboho Maolla commended the Extension Workers who capacitate them with necessary farming knowledge on type of seeds and how to take care of their crops.
She mentioned that they use organic seeds and lead healthy lifestyles by eating organic food.
The Smallholder Agriculture Development Project II (SADP II), Project Field Officer, Anna Seko explained that they assist smallholder farmers with marketing their products and support nutrition clubs by helping them diversify their production.
They provide shade nets for growing different crops, as well as chickens for protein and eggs, and trees for planting. To qualify for assistance, SADP must receive a recommendation from the Ministry of Agriculture’s nutrition guides. SADP officials then visit to assess whether the clubs meet the required objectives. If satisfied, they are offered training and support.
In Mafeteng, they have helped around 10 clubs, six of which have been verified for assistance.
The SADP II grant for farmers is structured as follows: the smallest grant is M300,000 for youth, the medium grant is M500,000, and the large category exceeds M500,000.
Lepelesana mentioned that several women have expressed interest in joining their nutrition initiative. She also highlighted that, as a club, they took part in the recent farmers’ exhibition held in Mafeteng. “We started with just an idea, but now we see how much good we can do for our village and beyond.”