Young farmer’s club project continues to involve people with various disabilities
Salanao Sedrick, a 24 year old lady is one beneficiary of the young farmer’s club project being implemented by DAPP Malawi in partnership with the Norwegian Association of Disability (NAD) and The Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA)
A mother of a 7-year-old son, Salanao is partially deaf and has problems with speech. She lives with her aunt in Mchocholo village in Traditional Authority Likoswe in Machinga district.
“When she expressed interest to join the Young Farmers Club project that started in September, I was not for the idea because people usually leave out people with disability. I was concerned that she wouldn’t feel welcome” said her aunty Joyce Ntambo
But after she joined the project, Joyce noticed that Salanao was happy and started applying what she was learning in her own field at home.
“When she gets home, she asks me to join her in the field where she demonstrates what she has learnt. I am happy that she is learning something and that she has made new friends who come and pick her up when going to the demonstration plot where they are learn various skills from the DAPP farming instructors” exclaimed Joyce.
Joyce also says the farming instructors are warm and always include Salanao in all their activities. She is thankful to DAPP for the project and the opportunities it is giving to people with disabilities “because of the encouragement Salanao gets, she has planted maize this growing season and I know she will harvest and have some to eat and some to even sell and make some money”
The young famers club project plans on working with 285 young farmers annually over the project’s three year life span and is targeting 60 percent female farmers, 40 percent males and 10 percent farmers with physical disabilities in Traditional authority Likoswe.
