BY PHUMELELE GAMEDZE
MBABANE– Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla’s support for vulnerable youth is bearing fruit, with Mfundo Fakudze turning an egg-selling opportunity into a growing business that has earned him E4 600 in furniture.
Fakudze, a beneficiary of the Child Headed Households (CHH) Programme, purchased a wardrobe and bedside pedestals using profits from his enterprise, marking a proud step towards independence and dignity.
He was enrolled in the Egg Selling Business in October last year through an initiative launched by Dladla in partnership with Elangeni Chicks.
Instead of using all his earnings for immediate needs, Fakudze reinvested his profits and expanded into growing sweet potatoes and vegetables.
His produce soon attracted customers, including a businessman who bought his entire sweet potato harvest to supply a major retail outlet.
The profits from the harvest enabled Fakudze to purchase the furniture, demonstrating how support aimed at vulnerable young people can become a foundation for sustainable livelihoods.
The physically disabled entrepreneur, who lives in Gebeni under Ntontozi Inkhundla, currently sustains himself through selling eggs and vegetables. He now hopes to venture into poultry production to diversify his income and grow his business further.
Fakudze’s progress reflects Government’s continued efforts to empower vulnerable emaSwati, particularly young people, by creating opportunities that enable them to develop businesses and work towards self reliance.
Through her work with vulnerable communities, Dladla has championed initiatives that seek to move beneficiaries from receiving assistance to having practical opportunities to generate income and improve their living conditions.
The approach places entrepreneurship at the heart of empowerment, giving young people an opportunity to use skills, resources and profits to build their own futures.
For Fakudze, the furniture standing in his home is a visible reminder of how far the opportunity has taken him.
He expressed heartfelt gratitude to Dladla and her staff for trusting young people to pilot projects that are transforming lives.
With plans to enter poultry production, Fakudze is now looking beyond the assistance that started his journey and towards building a business that can sustain him into the future.
#Eswatini #YouthEmpowerment #Entrepreneurship #PositiveNews
(Courtesy Pic)
