Sustainable farming turned into a business
Hailing from the Omusimboti village in the Oshana Region, 37-year-old Ndasilohenda Katangolo-Nakashwa founded Ndinandali Poultry after realising that there's a commercial market for sustainable farming.
Having walked away with a N$5 000 voucher after winning Women in Agriculture's female farmer of the year, Katangolo-Nakashwa said women should not be discouraged to penetrate the male-dominated industry that is farming.
“I was inspired to enter the Women in Agriculture competition because I wanted to showcase how you can start off small and grow as a business. You do not need a lot of money to start and I think that is what discourages a lot of farmers,” she said.
Born and bred in Uukwaludhi in the Omusati Region, she was inspired to get into poultry farming by her grandmother.
“In any Owambo household, you will find chickens and my passion started back then. Village chickens are scavengers, so it was not hard to feed them,” she added.
Katangolo-Nakashwa said her educational background in high school also contributed to her love for agriculture.
“I always had agriculture from grade eight to 12, but it was never a thing of linking what I learnt to real life. However, after I got admitted to do nursing at the University of Namibia, the agriculture dream took a back seat,” she admitted.
Learning to live with chickens
After she and her husband started breeding chicks, the number of her chickens grew and the networking in the poultry industry helped to propel her business.
“The good thing about poultry farming is that it requires less labour, which includes cleaning their area and giving them their medicine to take care of their health,” she told Ewi lyaNooli.
Over time, you learn to live with chickens and they bring a source of income for your household, she added.
Katangolo-Nakashwa urged female farmers to not be discouraged as agriculture is a big industry and there is space for everyone.
“If you are a producer, someone can do the packaging, transport, logistics and marketing for you. So, we can all fit in. My message is to always find your passion and search for mentors and grow your skills.
"Always look for schemes in our different ministries to provide you with start-up equipment and material," she said.
“We live in a global village - information is at our fingertips.”
Having walked away with a N$5 000 voucher after winning Women in Agriculture's female farmer of the year, Katangolo-Nakashwa said women should not be discouraged to penetrate the male-dominated industry that is farming.
“I was inspired to enter the Women in Agriculture competition because I wanted to showcase how you can start off small and grow as a business. You do not need a lot of money to start and I think that is what discourages a lot of farmers,” she said.
Born and bred in Uukwaludhi in the Omusati Region, she was inspired to get into poultry farming by her grandmother.
“In any Owambo household, you will find chickens and my passion started back then. Village chickens are scavengers, so it was not hard to feed them,” she added.
Katangolo-Nakashwa said her educational background in high school also contributed to her love for agriculture.
“I always had agriculture from grade eight to 12, but it was never a thing of linking what I learnt to real life. However, after I got admitted to do nursing at the University of Namibia, the agriculture dream took a back seat,” she admitted.
Learning to live with chickens
After she and her husband started breeding chicks, the number of her chickens grew and the networking in the poultry industry helped to propel her business.
“The good thing about poultry farming is that it requires less labour, which includes cleaning their area and giving them their medicine to take care of their health,” she told Ewi lyaNooli.
Over time, you learn to live with chickens and they bring a source of income for your household, she added.
Katangolo-Nakashwa urged female farmers to not be discouraged as agriculture is a big industry and there is space for everyone.
“If you are a producer, someone can do the packaging, transport, logistics and marketing for you. So, we can all fit in. My message is to always find your passion and search for mentors and grow your skills.
"Always look for schemes in our different ministries to provide you with start-up equipment and material," she said.
“We live in a global village - information is at our fingertips.”
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