UFUNA kube umkhuba wayo yonke imindeni ukuba nengadi yemifino ekhaya, owesifazane osefundisa nezingane zamantombazane ukulima.
UNkk Sibongile Mtungwa-Jakatyana
wase-Underberg, usemkhakheni wabalimi obizwa
nge-Agro-Ecology. Kulo mkhakha kutshalwa ngaphandle kokusebenzisa amakhemikhali nomanyolo, okuthiwa kubulala umhlabathi nemifino. UNkk Mtungwa-Jakatyana osanda kuphothula nokuqeqeshwa kulo mkhakha, uthe ukube kuya ngaye ngabe kubuyelwa kule ndlela yokutshala. Uthe ocwaningweni kutholakale ukuthi izifo eziningi zidalwa ukudla okufakwa amakhemikhali uma kutshalwa.
“Ngakhula vele ngikuthanda ukulima, ngingayithengi imifino ngoba ngiyazitshalela. Umqondo wokugxila kulo mkhakha we-Agro-Ecology, waqala ngo-2007 ngibheka ukuthi ngingabafundisa kanjani abanye. Ngathola ukuthi alukho uhlobo lwemifino olungeke lutshaleke ngaphansi kwalo mkhakha,” echaza.
Ngo-2010 wasungula iWomen’s Leadership and Training Programme egxile ekufundiseni abesifazane nezingane ngale ndlela yokulima. Uthe ukhuthaza ukuthi bonke abazali banikeze amadodakazi abo izindawo zokutshala emakhaya. Okwenze aqeqeshe nomama ukuthi bakwazi ukubheka izingadi uma izingane zisesikoleni. Ukulima ngale ndlela kudinga ingadi inakekelwe njalo. Okuyinselelo wukuthi uma kunesomiso, umhlaba uyathikamezeka. Uthe nokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kuyawulimaza lo mkhakha wezolimo. Nokho kuningi uNkk Mtungwa-Jakatyana athe kungasiza uma kufundiswa ngalo mkhakha wokulima.
“Akudingeki amanzi amaningi ukuchelela izingadi. Njengoba sinenkinga yokushoda kwamanzi kuleli, kungasiza ukugxila kulo mkhakha. Nabagulayo siyabakhuthaza ukuthi badle ukudla okutshalwe ngale ndlela ngoba akunawo amakhemikhali,” kusho yena.
Yize engenawo umhlaba abatshala kuwo, uthe uke waxhaswa ngemali ngabeLotto nabakwaSeda ukuqeqesha abesifazane nezingane zabo. Uthe olunye ulwazi waluthola kwamanye amazwe, okubalwa iGermany lapho lusetshenziswa khona.
Ngaphandle kokuzitshalela ukuze badle nemindeni yabo, uthe bonke abaqeqeshayo uyabakhuthaza nokuthi bayidayise imifino. Ukhuthaza nokuthi baphe abagulayo, abadinga imifino engenawo amakhemikhali.
UNkk Mtungwa-Jakatyana uneziqu zeDevelopment Studies. Muva nje uphothule ukuqeqeshwa kwi-Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity in SA -Tekano, ngaphansi kwe-Oxford University.