Agricultural training centre for Vic Falls
A FAMILY in Sizinda outside Victoria Falls Town has donated its field towards the establishment of an agricultural training centre which is expected to empower the community.
Mr Aaron Ndlovu and his family from Chidobe Ward have since started model plots where different kinds of crops and plants are flourishing with more than 30 prospective students already registered for the nonformal training.
The training centre is called Sizinda Agricultural Training Centre and has been cleared by the Government through Forestry Commission, Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Department, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education as well as the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technological Development.
Sunday News visited the training centre last week where horticulture, animal husbandry, bee keeping, fish keeping, agro-forestry and hydroponics activities are already underway. Mr Ndlovu, a tour guide employed by Zambezi Tram, runs the centre with his wife Sophie, and sons Wellington and Trever. For now they are using their field at the homestead and have earmarked to convert another piece of land with a long term plan of converting the homestead into a fully fledged training centre.
“So far 33 people have registered from Sizinda area as well as pupils from Sizinda Secondary School who come for practical lessons,” said Mr Ndlovu.
“Our aim is to ensure people improve their lives through skills development and change their attitude towards land where some sell their fields because they have no plan to use them.”
He said the target group was women and the youth.
“The idea is to assist women and youths who are interested in agriculture but have no access to skills development. We concentrate on theory for now as we are still expanding for practical aspects and will also be having training workshops with experts,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He said the long time plan was to supply the hotel industry in Victoria Falls with farm produce and other foodstuffs which they are importing from elsewhere. Mr Ndlovu said they were working on getting assistance from the Government and other partners to acquire some equipment such as trucks and a borehole driller from South Africa.
This, he said, would be used to drill boreholes for those who would have been trained so that they carry out irrigation projects in their respective places. Mr Ndlovu said they would concentrate on growing drought resistant crops and medicinal plants like aloe and ornamentals.
“We have started with Chidobe Ward and if the project is successful we can then expand to other wards including Victoria Falls. We want to raise our own seed plants at the demo plots which can then be used in the bigger project,” he said.
Trainees will collect seed for different crops and plants, raise them and plant them in the demo plots as well as at their homesteads.