Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Charlotte Nambadja
Published on 2024-03-29 06:00:00
Magdalena José, a native of Rundu, has harbored a deep love for nature since her childhood. This affection for the natural world has been a driving force in leading her towards a career in agriculture. Fondly reminiscing about her upbringing, José recalls how she shared a passion for plants, trees, and flowers with her late mother. Together, they would tend to the garden and care for the flower pots, instilling in her a profound appreciation for the beauty and importance of nature.
Today, at 27 years old, José is the proud founder of Mana Magdalena’s Garden, a venture she established three years ago at her village home in the Kaisosi area of Rundu. Concurrently, she is pursuing studies in horticulture and crop husbandry at the Rundu Vocational Training Centre. Reflecting on her journey, José shares, “After attending various workshops, I came to realize the impactful role agriculture plays in ensuring food security. I was inspired to make a meaningful contribution towards addressing issues of food security and poverty alleviation.”
José’s farm boasts an array of crops including cabbages, onions, tomatoes, spinach, beetroot, pumpkins, butternut, gem squash, mutete, and maize. Despite her dedication and hard work, she has encountered challenges on her path to becoming a successful small-scale farmer. Chief among these challenges is the issue of water scarcity, with insufficient water pressure creating stressful cultivation conditions that often result in crop wilting and withering due to extreme heat and inadequate irrigation.
In addition to water challenges, José highlights the financial burden of starting up as a farmer, emphasizing the need for capital to cover expenses such as quality seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, labor costs, transportation, marketing, and packaging. Furthermore, she underscores the importance of adopting environmentally-friendly farming practices to minimize degradation. As a semi-organic farmer, José utilizes organic methods of production, steering clear of harmful inorganic pesticides and fertilizers in favor of compost, cow manure, and leaves to enrich the soil and cultivate healthy and nutritious vegetables.
José strongly believes in the potential for women to thrive in the agricultural sector and advocates for empowering more women to pursue careers in farming. As a female farmer in a predominantly male-dominated industry, she takes pride in her role and encourages other women to actively participate in agriculture, stressing the numerous opportunities available to them when working together. José also calls for government support to fund youth involvement in small-scale farming, aiming to reduce the country’s reliance on costly imports of fresh produce from neighboring countries like South Africa.
In conclusion, Magdalena José’s journey from a nature-loving child to a dedicated agricultural entrepreneur serves as an inspiring example of passion, perseverance, and commitment to creating positive change in the realm of food security and sustainable farming practices. Through her endeavors, she envisions a future where women play a pivotal role in shaping the agricultural landscape and contributing to the nation’s self-sufficiency in fresh produce.
Read the original article on The Namibian
