Nelson Mandela fought for a better life for all. When he decided to start the first ever black- owned law firm in 1952, it was not easy because it was during the Apartheid regime. Apartheid was the hardest era in South African history because injustice for black people in the country was prevalent, but for Mandela, the liberation of the people of South Africa was more than just being an entrepreneur. He hoped for a country that entrepreneurs could endeavour and create opportunities for others. Mandela continues to inspire a lot of the young generation into becoming entrepreneurs and to realise that they have bigger goals to achieve and to continue to change the continentsâ social economic status.
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All business owners face certain challenges under different circumstance and those who have been operating in business for a long period have heard so many times of people telling them the importance of dedication and passion. Erica Nicole (2013, in Lead) said it very beautifully: âDedication equips you for the road ahead while passion inspires you to go the extra mile; when others would likely tell you to âpull overâ or âturn aroundâ. While many of us will not face the depth of struggles that many great men and women have encountered, we know that without these things success is infinitely harder to attain.â
We honour Mandelaâs legacy by celebrating young entrepreneurs who are defining all odds by not only creating opportunities for themselves and others. The story of Ngabaghila Chatata, who is also a member of Graça Machel Trustâs Women Creating Wealth is one of the many to be celebrated this Mandela Day because she demonstrates passion and dedication in what she does. Mandela gave encouragement to young entrepreneurs to believe in their ideas no matter how big the challenges they face.
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Ngabaghila is a social scientist by training and an entrepreneur who is very passionate about farming. She started her entrepreneurship journey in farming in 2012 and registered Thanthwe Enterprises in 2013, making her one of the leading horticulturists in Malawi. She made a decision to leave full-time employment in 2015 to follow her passion, and her business has grown since, registering growth each year. She currently focuses on farming and plans to go into agricultural processing and manufacturing.
Ngaba and her team at the farm
Thanthwe is an innovative Agribusiness venture specializing in Horticulture, agri-tourist, Livestock and Knowledge Management (Research, Trainings and consulting). As a center for excellence the farm hosts students for practical/Internships to make them employable. It employs climate smart drip irrigation and mulching to maximize productivity per unit area of land. With greenhouse area of 1700 square meters and 5 acres open field irrigated, the enterprise produces 50 tonnes of high value vegetables annually, targeting five-star hotels and super markets and soon for export markets.
âMy purpose is to inspire the youth and women to take up agriculture as a business and contribute to the transformation of communities surrounding them.â
What change do you want to happen in your community? You hold the power to ensure that this transformation happens. Take a stand like Nelson Mandela and Ngaba have done and get those wheels of change moving. To learn more about the Graça Machel Trustâs Womenâs Social Advancement Programme here
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting childrenâs rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Childrenâs Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescentsâ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trustâs goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a motherâs health and social economic conditions, the early years of a childâs life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.