Africa-Press – Eswatini. Orphaned children risk losing their most valuable inheritance, the family land. The Deputy Prime Minister’s Office (DPMO) is stepping in, providing these young households with farming skills, essential equipment, and inputs such as seeds and seedlings to ensure their land remains productive.
During a one-day training at The George Hotel in Manzini today, 60 child-headed households learned practical techniques for maize and bean production. The training was conducted by the DPMO’s Disaster Management Department in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Maize Corporation (NMC).
Disaster Manager at the DPMO, Zandile Mavuso, said that when children cannot continue farming after the death of their parents, their land often goes unused and is reclaimed by chiefdoms.
“This initiative does not only address food security, but also safeguards their family land,” Mavuso explained. “By supporting them to farm, we are helping them protect what belongs to them while ensuring they can provide for themselves.”
If chiefdoms reclaim the land while the children are still young, they often face difficulties later in life when they have the capacity to farm or build homes. Keeping the land productive now ensures these households can access their inheritance and secure their future.
Mavuso added that before beneficiaries begin farming with government support, it is vital that they receive proper training to achieve good yields and adapt to changing climate conditions.
The Child-Headed Households Programme, led by the DPMO, also supports families through livestock farming, backyard gardening, fruit tree planting, fencing, and water harvesting systems.
For many, learning to farm their parents’ land is more than growing food,it is a way to honour their family and protect their future. By tending their family land, these young heads of households are not just growing food, they are protecting their inheritance, building resilience, and securing their future.
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