“My name is Lerato Melody Chiradza. I am 33 years old and live with my mother and my two children. Life has been challenging because of unemployment, which has made it difficult to provide for my family.
I joined the KS-YARC Project because I wanted to acquire agricultural skills that would help me earn a sustainable income. Although our farming activities have not yet fully commenced, I have already benefited tremendously from the educational and spiritual sessions offered through the project.
The project has taught me the importance of unity, patience and placing God at the centre of everything we do. These lessons inspired me to compose a song that encourages our group while expressing appreciation to the Government of Zimbabwe, HOCIC, and Barnabas Aid for investing in young people’s futures. Personally, one of my biggest lessons has been learning patience. I was eager to see immediate results, but I came to understand that meaningful success takes time and commitment.
As a group, one of our biggest challenges has been inconsistent participation, with some members failing to attend scheduled work sessions. This increased the workload for those who attended. However, we addressed the issue through open discussions and encouraged one another to remain committed and united.
I believe this project will transform our lives by providing opportunities to produce and market agricultural products, enabling us to earn sustainable incomes. I hope our group becomes an example of successful youth-led development within our community. Going forward, I would like additional training in poultry production, crop management, pest control, and marketing so that we can maximise production and access profitable markets for our produce.”
