Poverty alleviation programme
CHDM POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAMME AIMS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS FOR SMALL SCALE FARMERS
Thirty small scale farmers from all six local municipalities benefited from the CHDM Poverty Alleviation Programme championed through Integrated Planning and Economic Development (IPED).
The programme aims to contribute significantly towards food security, economic empowerment and creating independent businesses that are not heavily reliant on government support. It further encourages economic activity at Ward level supporting local suppliers, markets and individual households.
MMC for Integrated Planning and Economic Development, Cllr Nosipho Papiyana, recently handed over fifty broilers and piglets, thirty-three bags of feed, medication, Lan, feeding and drinking containers. Encouraging the beneficiaries, she emphasized the significance of the inputs as they provide an opportunity for subsistence farmers to transition into commercial farmers and create sustainable livelihoods.
Since the inception of the Poverty Alleviation Program, more than fifty-five beneficiaries have received support in the form of seedlings, garden tools, water tanks, chemicals, fertilizers, piglets, broilers, and feed, in a bid to change their lives.
The beneficiaries have hailed the initiative as a program that enables them to foster a culture of Vukuzenzele in their households, teaching the next generation, means to self-sustain families. “Our kids these days have lost all hope on us as elders, seeing these farming inputs will inspire them to seek a more productive life and create a positive change in our communities,” remarked Nontsusa Boyi of Imizamo Kamama Project based in Ensam, Enoch Mgijima LM.
The programme further exposes beneficiaries to modern poultry and pig farming practices, thus improving knowledge and productivity. The municipality has partnered with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development who consistently provide capacity building, empowering these farmers in various areas such as financial literacy, record-keeping, and marketing skills, increasing chances for long-term success.
