I chatted with Dick and Anita at GLO Ndola.
Dick had some health problems in 2020 and ended up in hospital for 19 days with bad pneumonia. It took him a long time to recover, and he stayed at YFC in Lusaka for some months.
Currently they live in Chingola where the three girls are finishing school. They are renting a house there and living pretty much a day at a time. In March of this year Bright Hope World gave them a loan to cover the costs of moving back there which is to be paid back by the end of 2022.
They have purchased another farm 72km north from Chingola that has 10 hectares. They currently have about 30 goats they have breed and are aiming to sell some soon. They planted popcorn that has been harvested but not yet shelled. They have cleared and de-stumped 1 hectare of land to grow crops, and there is a good water source all year round. They aim to be able to use the farm to firstly sustain themselves and then be able to help in the local community. The markets for the farm produce revolve around the Congo, with buyers coming to the area.
The farm they own in Chipata they are looking to sell for around 350,000 ZMK (US$22,000) and this will enable them to pay off loans, build a house on the new farm and finish a house on a plot they own on lake Kariba (that should give rental income of 500 ZMK per week).
They are partnering with a local church who have identified the problem as being a lack of youth in church. Dick feels nationwide the youth are turning away from church. They are also living in a dream about what they want to do, having finished education, even higher education, but there are no jobs.
Dick and Anita are looking to start running youth camps at their property that will be funded by the parents in the local church. Camps will be for three days, giving youth a chance to study, have biblical input, and engage with farming. The first camp is be held in October.
Dick and Anita have come to GLO to attend the Foundations for Farming course in early August.
There isn't anything really to look to empower here yet. We discussed the Foundations for Farming possibilities which at this stage revolve around the youth camps. I will watch this space in regard to how it all develops after they have attended the farming training.