Paulina Ndalikokule

KAKURO – A rural boy in northern Namibia typically grows up looking after livestock and being empowered to farm, among other masculine domestic responsibilities. 

This was the childhood that 36-year-old Veikko Mandume from  Kakuro village in Kavango West experienced. 

He recalls the fateful day, at the age of eight, when he lost sight in his right eye in a freak accident in the bush. On that day, it was business as usual when he and his cousin went to look for cattle in the veld. 

Passing through a particularly bushy patch, his cousin held a thorn bush for Mandume to pass. 

However, the untimely release of the thorny shrub resulted in Mandume being struck in the right eye, rendering him blind in that eye for the rest of his life. 

His life has never been the same since that fateful day. Despite missing a full year of school due to being in and out of hospital, he could no longer see clearly, and had to adjust to using one eye. Apart from that, he was bullied by other children, and could no longer go out in the sun without wearing a hat as the sun caused discomfort in his eye.  

He, however, stated that losing sight in his right eye was a blessing in disguise as he qualified to receive disability benefits from the government. Mandume also completed his studies, and earned a certificate in Information Technology (IT) from Namibia’s then-Polytechnic (now Nust), before studying again to become a fire-fighter. However, since graduating, he has not found gainful employment as an IT specialist or even as a fire-fighter. 

“I keep applying, but I don’t make it. At some point, I even offered to volunteer to work for free for the Kavango West regional council, but I didn’t succeed,” he lamented.

Six years ago, he decided to utilise his disability benefits to purchase a few chickens, guinea fowl and ducks. He began a farming project, and constructed a poultry house out of pieces of corrugated iron and mesh wire. However, he always had the challenge of thieves, lack of a proper structure, reoccurring poultry diseases, food shortages and resources to improve his project. He, nonetheless, persevered.

Today, his Tupeniko Poultry farming project has about 120 chickens, ducks and guinea fowl. With a donation of poultry feed and equipment worth N$58 000, which was received on Friday by the Nkurenkuru constituency councillor, Mandume’s production is now set to increase.

“Today is my best day because I am feeling happy to receive these materials. This is going to help me a lot in my project,” said the overjoyed and grateful enterpreneur.

He told New Era that his love for poultry was motivated since childhood, as the noise of poultry gave him peace of mind. “Whenever I stress, I come sit here and just look at them and hear their sounds. Then, my stress eventually goes away.

He said the poultry project has helped him and his family with a source of food and income, and everyone is now actively involved in it.

“We don’t buy eggs in our house anymore, we just collect eggs. Even when I am not around, I know that everything is running smoothly as everyone loves the poultry at home,” he added. 

When asked if he would venture into studying agriculture, Mandume said people automatically grew up learning agriculture at home and school, and this gives them the necessary knowledge to successfully run agricultural projects without further education.

“Agriculture is born into us because we grow up with agriculture all around us. We learn it as children, which should motivate people to start projects out of things we know, and with whatever is available to us,” Mandume said. 

During Friday’s equipment handover, Nkurenkuru constituency councillor Fillipus Tenga said funds were availed from the VAT budget for 2023/24 to empower the youth and marginalised people in the constituency, who are already running projects which require assistance.

“We decided to assist youth in our constituency. He is not the only one. We also identified water provision in Maporia and Karanawa locations, where we have a problem of water. We will buy water tanks and iron for water tanks from that budget. Materials will be bought once we are done with the procurement processes, and will be given to the beneficiaries”, he said.

Tenga added that the constituency is challenged by a lack of funds to give the youth, who are mainly focused on self-employment projects among the marginalised population.

“I want to encourage the youth that when they are at home, they must not only expect that they must be employed. They should come up with initiatives and be innovative, and make proposals to our office. If we secure funds, we can assist them,” he urged. 

Friday was the constituency’s second handover under the employment scheme after the handover of agricultural equipment worth N$65 800 to a small business in the Mpungu Constituency.

*Paulina Ndalikokule is an information officer at MICT Kavango West.