About 300 young people in Zomba are expected to strengthen their financial independence through increased honey production following a donation of 100 beehives by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), through Emeritus Reinsurance Company, as part of a youth empowerment initiative.
The support is being provided under the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) programme.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at Thondwe in Zomba, AGRA Sustainable Farming Specialist Richard Kaonga said the organisation is committed to improving the economic independence of young people through increased agricultural productivity and commercialisation.
He said AGRA believes in is youth empowerment through agricultural support.
“It is our hope that through the beehives, the youth will be able to achieve their goals, establish themselves economically, and support their households,” Kaonga said.
Chief Agriculture Officer for Zomba, Misheck Chawala, urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the donation, saying it would not only contribute to their own growth but also create opportunities for others.
Chawala said the government alone cannot reach every corner of the country and therefore relies on development partners to complement its efforts for the betterment of the nation.
“Through this support, we are assured that, as a country, we will achieve the agriculture commercialisation pillar of the Malawi 2063 agenda. We need more partners to come forward so that this vision can be realised,” he said.
Chawala added that, as a demonstration of commitment to the programme, the district agriculture office will begin training all supported youth in business management starting next week.
Speaking earlier, Head of Finance and Administration at Emeritus Reinsurance, Edward Harold, said the company saw it fit to use its Corporate Social Responsibility programme to support the initiative.
“We are aiming to support young farmers, particularly young women who are among the most affected by the harsh realities of climate change, by empowering them through bee farming and helping them rise out of poverty,” he said.
Through the AGRA-funded YEFFA programme, Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) partnered with Emeritus Reinsurance to provide young farmers in Zomba with training and start-up inputs for bee farming.
