A mix of excitement and anticipation set in as the Masithuthuke Poultry farmers receive their first batch of 1,530 chickens on Friday, 11 January 2013.

Senzo Zondo one of the farmers at the poultry farm.

This project is initiative of post high school youth of whom most of them went to Siphosabadletshe High School (the first Star For life school) and it has been supported by a Star For Life-Skills and the Department of Agriculture. The aim is to stimulate economic activity and address unemployment and poverty in rural areas around uMkhanyakude District in KZN where the unemployment rate is one of the highest in the country.

 

“Farming has a lot of potential in reducing unemployment among young peopleanywhere, particular from rural areas, and we expect this initiative to create more job opportunities for young people”, said Simingaye Zulu, the Star For Life Skills acting project manager.

This poultry farm is made up of six units and each unit is expected to produce at least 1500 chickens in a period of six weeks, for the purpose of meat production.

 

“We expect the results to start showing as from the end of first the week of February 2013”, said Mr Ndlovu advisor from Department of Agriculture.

 

“I am so excited, I hope we’ll be able to eradicate poverty in our community and we’ll employ more people to join our business as time goes on”, said Ntombi Zungu one of the farmers.

 

Some of the beneficiaries from this project are university graduate in Animal Production and all the members were trained on how to raise chickens for the purpose of meat production.

 

“We are hoping to supply our production to retail shops and supermakets across the country in the near future” said Senzo Zondo another beneficiary from the farm.