Young farmer finds foothold through Hope Farm
Tjamana Muukua, a young farmer in Namibia, is working to build a sustainable sheep flock through the Hope Farm Project. Despite facing significant livestock losses due to disease and climate challenges, he remains committed to expanding his farming operation.
Why it matters
It illustrates the challenges faced by emerging farmers in rural Africa and the necessity of combining material aid with technical support for long-term success.
For young farmer Tjamana Muukua, establishing a sustainable livelihood through sheep farming once seemed beyond reach. Although he had farmed with a small number of cattle and goats since 2015, the cost of acquiring enough livestock to build a productive flock remained a significant obstacle.
Today, as one of the 48 beneficiaries of the Swakop Uranium Foundation’s Hope Farm Project in the Erongo Region, Muukua has been given an opportunity to pursue that ambition.
Muukua lives and farms in Ondjeombaranga, a village in the Otjimbingwe District. Before joining the project, he faced many of the challenges experienced by emerging farmers in rural communities, including drought, livestock theft, animal diseases and limited access to the financial resources needed to expand.
“I was unable to afford enough livestock to establish a flock that could grow and become a reliable source of income in the future,” he explained.
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