08 Jun 2014

Government has introduced several programmes to enable citizens to better their lives. LIMID is one of the agricultural programmes that were introduced to boost food security and commercialise subsistence farming.

Ms Masego Cooper is one of Batswana who benefited from LIMID. The 28-year old mother of two did not have the chance to go to school due to some reasons only known by her family, but this did not discouraged her.

She grew up with her close relatives as her mother was away working. In 2009, she started her studies in non-formal education programme so that she could improve her reading and writing skills. She said lack of job opportunities and just staying at home led her to take this step to apply for LIMID.

She said the interest for her to become a young farmer never left her, only growing more profound and passionate about it. Ms Cooper applied on January 2013 and her application was approved on October 2013.

She further explained that applying for LIMID was a difficult and long procedure as she had to go around different farmers to look for quotations. “I had to find three people who will help me, two with female goats and one with males,” she said.

“After being approved I had to construct a kraal because I didn’t have money to pay people to make it and my brothers were not around to assist me. After receiving my livestock I had to spend a lot of time at the bush because they have to get used to their new home first,” noted Ms Cooper.

She faced many challenges during the early months of farming, chief among them being access to water. She had to travel a long distance to get the water, at times having to use a wheel barrow in the absence of money to hire a vehicle.

Her goal is to own a stock of 100 goats and other livestock so that she can be able to sell to different butchery owners, individuals who want to start farming as a well as those who want to benefit from LIMID. ENDS