Khoemacau hands Sehithwa VDC layer poultry project
Pauline Dikuelo | Tuesday July 12, 2022 06:00
Established last year in February, the project currently supplies the Khoemacau Copper Mine, schools, and communities in the area with eggs.
Speaking at a recent media tour, Khoemacau Copper Mine Executive Director Boikobo Paya said as part of their CSR, their model was to do something sustainable for the communities in which they operate.
'As a mine, we decided to not only give the people in those communities some jobs but to also empower them. We worked with the Sehitwa Village Development Committee (VDC) in developing a strategic plan. Our job was to help and as a result, they came up with a chicken layers project,' he said.
The mine in partnership with their construction company Concor then injected some capital to buy 400-layer chickens, four chicken houses, a month's supply of chicken feed, medication, and water tanks.
'We wanted them to focus on producing eggs because there is a market. At the mine, employees consume at least two eggs per day, so as long as they produce 3,000 eggs we will support them,' he said.
According to Paya, the Village Development Committee which is responsible for the project has also secured the market – supplying schools, a move they encouraged.
'At first we were taking all the eggs, but now they are not coming to just us, they are also selling to schools,' he said. Paya further announced that they will be extending the project to other villages including Toteng, Komana, and others.
For her part, VDC member Kengezee Tjihumino said the demand has increased and they are forced to increase their production.
'We cannot supply the community of Sehitwa during school days because they take all the eggs,' she said.
The committee has started seeking other options for expanding their business as they have started growing vegetables and producing fertilizers.