The Agenda 2063 Academy plans to provide seedlings to women farmers to address the Food shortage which has been a challenge due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.This project seeks to assist 45 women from ESwatini living in 3 marginalized areas to be able to expand their produce to feed their families and supply their local community markets during these pandemic shock.
Food shortage in the Kingdom of ESwatini has increased due to lockdown measures under the current COVID-19 pandemic. Eswatini's national production is highly dependent on imports to feed its people. The crisis is exacerbating existing inequalities in a nation where nearly 60% of the rural population already live below the poverty line. Rural residing families are now struggling to survive the sudden loss of income due to the coronavirus lockdown, with limited access to healthcare.
The Agenda 2063 Academy has partnered with Isibuko Serentity Foundation to provide seedlings and train marginalized women on effective crop production, business skills and value-added production. The women learn by doing - learning how to cultivate seedlings and the basics of running a business, which in turn will increase their income and yields. We will enroll 15 more women farmers in addition to the ones that need assistance to increase production.
This project will equip 45 women to be able to feed their families as well as providing an opportunity for them to supply the local supermarkets and vegetable markets. This will help to combat the food shortage on a larger scale in the Kingdom of Eswatini and approximately a population of 75,000 people in 3 villages combined. Funds raised will also go towards the development of an emergency nursery under Solidarity Eswatini's Mbabane Urban Garden agroecological farm.
