Unemployed plumbing graduate turns to farming
Having graduated from the Eenhana Vocational Training Centre in 2018 after successfully completing a plumbing and pipe-fitting course, Nikanor Thomas struggled to secure a job.
He has since ventured into farming to sustain his livelihood.
Hailing from Okantonge village in the Oshikoto Region’s Onayena constituency, Thomas is a determined young man who farms with goats and rabbits, while he has also started a small home garden.
Dressed in a blue overall jacket, jeans and brown veldskoens, Thomas narrated how he started farming with just one goat, and grew his enterprise to where it is now.
“I graduated in 2018 and since then, I did not secure a permanent job. I only did odd jobs, but they are rare to get because the market has a lot of plumbers and jobs are limited,” he said.
“It was on that basis I started farming with goats. I realised that farming with one type of animal is not economical, so I started doing research on rabbits. I bought my first three rabbits from a lady at Eenhana and started farming with them.
“Community members have also started farming with rabbits because of me,” he said proudly.
Continuous learning
Thomas said he spends most of his free time learning about smart farming on YouTube.
With the knowledge he acquires from the internet, he offers free training to fellow community members, he said.
“I have also established groups in various regions where we aim to increase our livestock and provide for our families."
As for his garden, Thomas grows a variety of fruits and vegetables, which he uses for his household and sells to the community.
The farmer explained that the demand for rabbits spikes during August, when a lot of weddings take place.
“During that time, you will get a lot of orders and sometimes you might not have rabbits because people like the meat. Now that we are a lot [of farmers] breeding rabbits, we can meet the demand,” he said.
“Rabbit meat is good, if you haven’t tasted it yet. You should try it. It’s better than chicken.”
Challenges
According to Thomas, one of his biggest challenges is financing.
He needs a lot of equipment to expand his project, he said, adding: “When it comes to farming, one needs money”.
“I here and there sell some goats in order to get money and use it to buy the stuff I need,” he said.
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He has since ventured into farming to sustain his livelihood.
Hailing from Okantonge village in the Oshikoto Region’s Onayena constituency, Thomas is a determined young man who farms with goats and rabbits, while he has also started a small home garden.
Dressed in a blue overall jacket, jeans and brown veldskoens, Thomas narrated how he started farming with just one goat, and grew his enterprise to where it is now.
“I graduated in 2018 and since then, I did not secure a permanent job. I only did odd jobs, but they are rare to get because the market has a lot of plumbers and jobs are limited,” he said.
“It was on that basis I started farming with goats. I realised that farming with one type of animal is not economical, so I started doing research on rabbits. I bought my first three rabbits from a lady at Eenhana and started farming with them.
“Community members have also started farming with rabbits because of me,” he said proudly.
Continuous learning
Thomas said he spends most of his free time learning about smart farming on YouTube.
With the knowledge he acquires from the internet, he offers free training to fellow community members, he said.
“I have also established groups in various regions where we aim to increase our livestock and provide for our families."
As for his garden, Thomas grows a variety of fruits and vegetables, which he uses for his household and sells to the community.
The farmer explained that the demand for rabbits spikes during August, when a lot of weddings take place.
“During that time, you will get a lot of orders and sometimes you might not have rabbits because people like the meat. Now that we are a lot [of farmers] breeding rabbits, we can meet the demand,” he said.
“Rabbit meat is good, if you haven’t tasted it yet. You should try it. It’s better than chicken.”
Challenges
According to Thomas, one of his biggest challenges is financing.
He needs a lot of equipment to expand his project, he said, adding: “When it comes to farming, one needs money”.
“I here and there sell some goats in order to get money and use it to buy the stuff I need,” he said.
[email protected]
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