Key study with Nombono Dladla from Ezibomvini
Nombono Dladla was born on 19 January 1964 at Stulwane. Nombono was blessed
with four children and she is a tradition healer. Nombono Dladla is a small holder
farmer she is producing grain produce and vegetables. She says she was born farming
because grown up in farming family. Before she met Mahlathini Development
Foundation was planting maize field about 2, 5 hectors but that maize were only last
between three to four months. Now Nombono plant1, 5 hector of maize that last 12
months for household consumption and she sell surplus. She told us that after she is
involving in Ezibomvini Farmers Learning Group her livelihood totally change a lot.
MDF offers so much in terms of support such as technical and financial support that
helps us to improve living. These days we are living in the difficult situation whereby
our country economy is sinking down in the dip sea. We judge that through high of
food. Actually everything is very expensive now. Myself as Nombono I would like to
send my gratitude to MDF for their dedication of helping and supporting us as poor
people. Most of us in our Learning Group we don’t buy maize meal and vegetables’.
Mahlathini Development Foundation equipped us with knowledge and skills of
producing enough food for our families and community. As I am speaking I have
100m2 vegetables garden and tunnel through the support of MDF. With my garden I
feed my family and sell to the community and MDF help us with monthly market to
Bergville town. Both grain and vegetable produce we were train by MDF garden lay
out design package that include many practices such as trench bad, pest and diseases
brew, tower garden and many more. Coming to the grain produce fields we trained to
test soil and follow the soil samples recommendations. The Conservation Agriculture
method we learned from MDF. This method has three very important pillars which
are Minimum soil disturbance, Crop rotation and mulching. there are so many
practices inside CA some are summer cover crops, winter cover crops, intercropping
and stripping planting. I don’t know how to thanks to MDF because there many things
we learn. Myself I produce maize, beans, vegetables and broilers chicken. I raise
chicks and sell chickens to the community that gives me some income. How can I
forget that MDF teach us and train us to save money. We are now have savings group
where we save money for farming and household use.