Social Protection
Impacting the next generation of farmers
Monica Mulongoti, who lives with a disability, has excelled in her farming endeavours. She is impacting the next generation of farmers with knowledge that will help them thrive off the land. She is doing this through her children and youths in the community.
Impacting the Next generation of Farmers: Disability in not an Inability
Monica is impacting the next generation of farmers with knowledge that will help them live off the land. She is doing this through her children and youths in the community.
Persons with Disabilities are amongst the most marginalized groups in Zambia. According to WHO, Zambia has an estimate of 1.7 million Persons with Disabilities (equivalent to approximately 10 percent of the population). The United Nations Joint Programme for Social Protection (ILO, UNICEF) is providing technical support to the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities with financial support from Ireland, Sweden and UK aid from the British people in creating awareness on the rights of disabilities to empower them to access to social protection services.Monica Mulongoti a 57-year-old small scale farmer on her farm in Fisenge, Copperbelt. She was born visually impaired. She has ten (10) children, Seven (7) of whom live with her with their families. Monica believes that when one works hard they reap the benefits. She has taught all her children to farm, with others venturing into beekeeping and others taking up chicken rearing and goat keeping. "My aim was to empower all my children because I hate poverty", Monica says.
Monica has been growing maize most of her life. In 2019 she became a recipient of the Fertiliser Input Support Programme (FSP). The programme helped increase her maize yield and hectarage. The harvested maize is for consumption and economic purposes, with the income invested back and used to support the family. Recently, Monica started fish farming when she heard of a workshop offering classes on fish farming for persons with disabilities, she decided to attend. At the end of the workshop, she was supplied with one thousand (1,000) fingerlings, which she put in ponds made by her children on the farm. After seeing her success, Monica’s goal is to be one of the significant fish suppliers to all the butcheries in Fisenge.
Monica's impairment has never prevented her from participating in group activities. She has held different positions, such as assistant chairperson for Persons with Disabilities Group in Fisenga and Luanshya. Through these groups, she has contributed to the positive outlook in life for persons with disabilities.
Monica is impacting the next generation of farmers with knowledge that will help them live off the land. She is doing this through her children and youths in the community.
Monica is impacting the next generation of farmers with knowledge that will help them live off the land. She is doing this through her children and youths in the community.