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Fortious Nhambura Senior Features Writer
“After getting a job and raising some money, do not waste time loafing in the city. Return to your village and invest in a project that will not only benefit your family but the village and others.” 

These are the words of young entrepreneur and poultry farmer, Mr Tendai Mapisa.

“If you plan your things well you will surely realise your dream,” he adds with a broad smile.

Mr Mapisa is living his dream, to prove that the poor soils of Chihota can still be used productively and promote agriculture. He has indeed transformed his rural home, now Mukucha Plot, into a model small farm for other youths.

His message is clear and unequivocal: you can transform the little land you have into a lovely farm and start generating money from your village.

At his beloved Mukucha Plot, Mr Mapisa has put a hectare under tomatoes, another half a hectare is under cabbages and maize at knee level, all under irrigation. Land preparation is going on on the other part of the land to complete the two-hectare plot that he hopes to concentrate on in the meantime.

On the plot Mapisa also has a poultry project with 6 000 broilers. Another chicken run with a 6 000 carrying capacity is under construction.

Located about 60km outside Harare, Mukucha Plot is a result of sheer determination to contribute meaningfully in the development and employment creation of one’s home area.

“It is no use crying for a big farm but use the little space you have to produce for the country. I believe it’s no use trying to relocate to other areas in search of good soils. I have worked to improve the soil quality at the plot. Let us ensure all the land becomes productive starting with the poor fields of our fathers. Once all communal farmers are productive we can easily wrestle ourselves from the threat of hunger in our households. What is important is to have a correct mindset and a vision to achieve one goal.

“My philosophy is very simple; I use the little resources I have to start projects that can contribute towards national development. If the fruits of ZimAsset and the indigenisation programmes are to be realised, then everyone must start working in his or her own backyard to do a business that improves the community,” Mr Mapisa said.

He said he was beginning to realise the fruits of his labour and would soon embark on training of youths in the ward in crop production, horticulture and poultry at his plot.

From humble beginnings he is aiming to be a model communal farmer.

“I started with only $1 000 and kept expanding until now. I said to myself if I am to make an impact in life I should make my rural home a priority. I came here to invest in my home area and help create employment for the youths. Here I intend to train youths in life skills that they can use to earn a living.

“I am getting good support from surrounding villages. Even the local councillor is very supportive of the project and always takes time to visit the farm to learn.

“I started with the poultry project. I made sure that the chicken project was run professionally. Before embarking on the project I took time to learn poultry rearing and management skills. I had to employ a farm manager with the right qualifications to handle these developments. His duty is run the projects professionally,” he said.

Mr Mapisa employs 12 workers apart from casual labour provided by people from surrounding villages.

Farm manager, Joseph Kamuzozo Kachembere says it was easy working with Mapisa because he is determined to make a difference in the area.

Mapisa is passionate in all that he does. When he approached me to take care of the plot, I was at first pessimistic of the whole project but barely a year and half I am convinced that he is on the road to success. He is determined to make it as a successful smallholder farmer.

“At the moment we have 16 000 tomato plants nearing maturity. We expect to start harvesting next month. We have also put under irrigation 3 000 heads of cabbages that are almost at maturity and an acre of maize almost at tussling stage.

“We started with 3 000 chickens and now the number has grown to 6 000 broilers. You see that new chicken-run under construction, the aim is to increase the number to 12 000 resources permitting. The manure from the chicken project is used to fertilize the fields. This is a self contained project and we hope to do well. We have sold a few batches of chicken and intend to increase the farm holding chicken capacity to over 20 000 chickens in the coming years.

“Mr Mapisa is a fan of former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr Gono’s column in a local weekly, ‘Talking Chickenomics’ and always makes sure that we all read the column to keep abreast with trends in the industry and proper poultry keeping trends,” he said.

To provide water for the project, Mr Mapisa sunk a borehole. The borehole provides enough water for both the poultry project and crops.

Mukucha Plot is now the envy of the area well known for small scale vegetable production that supplies Chitungwiza’s Chikwanha and Mbare Musika vegetable market.

Local councillor Cde Hebron Gotora (Ward 18) is impressed with investment which he termed the model for development in the area.

He appealed to young people originating in the area to comeback to invest in the ward to kick start development.

If we are to have four or five people with big projects like Mr Mapisa then our problems will be finished. We have so much potential especially in market gardening considering that we are just an hour’s drive from a ready market in Harare and Chitungwiza. I want to plead with our young people comeback and invest in developmental projects like this.

“Mr Mapisa has defied odds to set a thriving smallholder farm in the area. The plot has become to us like a technical college where our children get training in crop and poultry production.

“We are still liaising with him so that he can take aboard at least five youths on attachment. Over the period they will be taught practical skills in poultry and crop production courses. We have no farms in the ward and we have to make use of small plots to engage in agriculture.

“We are happy that some of our children are beginning to realise the importance of developing their home areas. This indeed dovetails with the country’s economic blueprint, Zim-Asset which promotes utilization of local resources in pushing development,” Cde Gotora said.

He appealed to politicians in the area to also embrace developmental projects initiated by young people saying that was the only way the ward could start creating jobs for its young people.

“We have to embrace developmental projects being spearheaded by our young people. It is surprising that I hear some party leaders in the district who feel threatened by young people like Mapisa but encourage them to invest their energies in developing the area,” he said.

“Let this project be a good lesson to the educated among our youth and influential people in our society to always consider their roots as investment destinations.”

Mr Mapisa bemoaned the shortage of land saying it was hampering his future plans.

“By the way I relocated to my father’s land. This is the land that was allocated to the old man as supplementary for the small piece of land in the village. Soon I will be seeking more land for expansion though this will remain the centre of my farming projects,” he added.

Feedback to fortious.nhambura @zimpapers.co.zw