YOUTH FARMERS IN MPONGWE TAKE A CHANCE WITH YAMS

Yams pounded into meal and used to cook porridge 

WHEN youth think of lucrative employment, they usually fantasize about anything other than getting their hands dirty with soil or absorbing the scent of livestock. However, as the trends in entrepreneurship change due to changing the preferences among people, the need for food and nutrition remains constant. As such, farming continues to be the income generation which is guaranteed to have a constant clientele.

As youth unemployment remains a challenge worldwide, a significant number of youth are being compelled to be creative and take a leap into entrepreneurship. Musonda Katongo is 26 year old youth and member of a cooperative group that is generating a steady income from the production and processing of yams.

As yams are not our common staple food among the people of Zambia, opting to go into yam production entailed some amount of research and self-education was needed to ensure that the venture of yam production would guarantee a return on the cooperative’s investment.