Nahas Ndevahoma and Isabella Ndevahoma started their agriculture project after they had identified the need for vegetables within their communities for a balanced diet, as the northern communities only eat the stable food that is omahangu.
The main aim for the farm was food security, being a working-class family and an extended family, to assist because it is not easy to buy food from the shops every day.
They do mixed farming; they are also breeding goats and engaged in cattle farming. Then, with the manure of the livestock, they decided to venture into horticulture.
The Oshamukweni garden was started in 2019 at a small scale after a borehole was drilled in 2018. Currently, the garden is at a medium scale at the far end since their goal this year is to expand the growing of fruits and vegetables.
The garden is situated in Oshalumbu village in the Okongo constituency of the Ohangwena region.
Here, they grow tomatoes, spinach, onions, carrots, maize, herbs (parsley, basil, mint and liquorish) and fruit trees, being apples, grapes, custard-apples, mangoes, pears, peaches, mulberries, strawberries, avocadoes, lemons, oranges and many more.
Speaking to New Era, Nahas Ndevahoma stated that they did not just want to be traditional Mahangu farmers, but wanted to make home interesting for the children and challenge themselves to the idea of fruit farming and horticulture.
“We are responding to one of the most important government priorities, to produce local food, and also to make a profit and be able to employ local, unemployed youth,” he noted.
According to Ndevahoma, the garden gives their children something to do, especially taking care of the strawberries and mulberries by making jam.
“The fruits are a long-term project, but mainly we chose them because we want our community and the children to know the fruit tree types, and also to know where the fruits are coming from,” he continued.
Ndevahoma said they have employed two people who are working full-time. But during the harvest season, they employ five to 10 casuals on busy harvest days, especially with the tomatoes.
Furthermore, the future looks promising, and their plan in agriculture is for the Okongo agriculture family to be one association supporting each other, and be the leading supplier of fruits and vegetables in the region.
“Our goal is to always start small, and to grow and learn along the way. One day, we might even produce the end- product. This will be value-addition to our produce,” he enthused.
In addition, he highlighted the importance of agriculture in that it improves people’s diet, creates employment for the youth in the community, and is a stress reliever just to see the green plants all-year-round.
He thus urged people to stop ending all their progressive thoughts with challenges before they even start, and to move forward with positive thoughts.
- fhamalwa@nepc.com.na