Children’s bankable venture

Whenever you see darkness, there is extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter. This rings true for a group of children within World Vision South Africa (WVSA)’s Umzimvubu Area Development Programme (ADP).

While some children are playing in dirt in villages across South Africa, others are dutifully honing their project management and business skills, devising innovative ways to monetize on their ideas, all on their own without any grant from the government. A group of school children in Umzimvubu in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa is provingthat long gone are the days when children entrepreneurs were confined to the business of selling sweets and lemonade.

To these children, such petty trade seems more like child’s play, as they insist that there is no minimum age for project conceptualisation and management.

An entrepreneurial spirit

The children – six girls and four boys – aged between 12 and 15 years established a successful poultry project about six months ago. They came up with the idea during a children’s forum organized by the Umzimvubu ADP, who encouraged them to write a proposal requesting funds from World Vision’s decision-makers, which they did.

The youngsters received 100 egg-laying chickens, chicken stands and other items required for a poultry project. They secured a room in the village where the chickens are kept. “This project keeps us very busy as we have to check on the chicks diligently. You’ll find us here (where the chicks are kept) during school breaks and after school, feeding the chicks, giving them water, collecting the eggs, among other tasks,” said Noncedo Gaba, the project leader.

The group has managed to market the project well to its community, earning it daily sales of more than 100 eggs. The young business minds set their own prices to cover their overhead costs and make profits.

A bankable venture

They have opened a bank account for the project, but for now a huge chunk of the profit is spent on chicken feed and medication as needed.

The group receives continuous coaching and mentoring from World Vision SA officials. “The

World Vision staff conducts training sessions for us, where they teach us project management skills. They teach us about record keeping, pricing and the importance of cleanliness,” said Mpolokeng Welem, a group member.

The children’s dedication is a huge encouragement to the ADP. “They literally drive this project and make decisions on how they wish to run it. Years down the line this project can provide a breakthrough in addressing poverty in this area, where approximately 90 percent of the population lives in poverty,” said James Mboto, the Umzimvubu ADP Manager.

Sparing a thought for their peers

The project also has a community social responsibility element to it. “When we get enough funds, we would like to provide school uniforms and other basic items to our peers whose families are unable to make ends meet,” Noncedo said.

Meanwhile an expansion of the project is also on the cards. “We will make a decision on what to do with the chicks when they become older to lay eggs. We will either sell them to butcheries or sell fresh meat on our own,” Noncedo said with confidence.

World Vision SA is in the process of helping the children to register this project with local authorities, so that it can be linked with local markets. “Already some of the markets have shown an interest in the project,” Mboto said.

World Vision will facilitate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure that ownership of the project remains with the children when the organization ceases to operate in the area.

The children’s optimism created cheerful frames of mind that enabled them to sing the song of life.