By: Twamanguruka Nghidinwa
Two years ago, I started a small youth initiative at Sikondo Green Scheme Irrigation Project with a big dream: to give hope and opportunity to young people who live in the surrounding villages of Sikondo.
Specifically, those who had failed their Grade 11 and 12 subjects, and who could not afford to pay for rewrites because of their financial background.
I believe that failure in school should never be the end of someone’s story.
So, I instructed my team to use the existing casual employment system to allocate 2 months at the end of the year to only recruit students who wish to rewrite/improve their subjects the next year.
Since then, this initiative has grown into something powerful:
- In 2023/2024, we employed 60 young people, offering them an opportunity to work, receive practical agricultural training, mentorship, and income to support themselves, to rewrite the subjects they did not perform well in or achieved minimum grades.
- This year, we have recruited 90 students who are now working with us in the fields:
harvesting, sorting, washing, and packaging potatoes for the local market.
These young men and women are not just helping the farm, they are rebuilding their confidence, funding their education dreams, and writing a new chapter for themselves.
We are incredibly proud of their resilience, their passion, and their willingness to work hard even when life has been difficult.
To every youth out there who feels stuck: your current situation is not your destination.
And to our seniors and supervisors, and everyone who supports this initiative, thank you for believing in the next generation.
- To empower more young people.
- To break the cycle of poverty through opportunity.
- To the 90 students making this season a success.
Twamanguruka Nghidinwa is the Farm Manger at Sikondo Green Scheme Irrigation Project
