Meet Lydia, Limpopo Wheelchair User and Farmer Creating Jobs for Disabled People

• Despite being a wheelchair user, Lydia Nemafhohoni plays a crucial role in feeding her local community through fresh produce from her farm
• This disabled farmer has employed 11 full-time workers, seven of whom are living with various disabilities
• Nemafhohoni told Briefly News she believes that people living with disabilities can achieve anything they set their minds on if they are given an opportunity

LIMPOPO - Disabled Vhembe-based farmer, Lydia Nemafhohoni, 49, is bridging the gap between eradicating hunger among her fellow villagers in Pile and surrounding areas, and economically empowering other disabled persons by giving them full-time employment at her farm.

Nemafhohoni is the proud owner of a community farming project known as Konanani Disabled People Primary Agricultural Cooperative, which runs a successful vegetable farm, fruit shop and poultry project.

The projects were established in 2004, with the main aim to empower disabled people, while also providing essential vegetables, eggs and chicken to those who cannot afford to purchase them at the retail shops.

Read also

"A little bit of deception": US farmer shares experience hiring South Africans

“Many people from my area are unemployed and they struggle to purchase even basic food items from their local shops such as vegetables, which are essential for their health.

“I saw that there is a gap I can bridge by farming those basic food items and selling them at a reasonable price, while also donating some to those who cannot afford to buy at all,” Nemafhohoni said.

Nemafhohoni, who was not born with a disability but became paralysed after contracting polio in childhood, said that it pains her to see disabled people sitting at home and not doing anything productive.

“I know that not all disabled people can become farmers, but there are so many opportunities out there which they can pursue to improve their lives.

“But some are unable to do so because their families keep them in hiding, depriving them of the opportunity to pursue their dreams,” Nemafhohoni said."

Read also

Bottle girls ignored by men in hilarious Mzansi nightclub video, SA jokes: “It’s bedtime”

Challenges faced by disabled people

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) indicates that the national disability prevalence rate is 7.5% in South Africa.

Nemafhohoni told Briefly News that more needs to be done to eliminate the stigma and discrimination faced by people with disabilities.

“Disabled people are not only being stigmatised and discriminated against at workplaces but they also face the same challenges within their homes at the hands of those who are supposed to care for them hence so many of them are hiding within their homes depriving them of their rights,” Nemafhohoni added.

But the South African Constitution, specifically the Bill of Rights, guarantees the rights of people living with disabilities, which includes the right to equality, freedom from discrimination, and the promotion of their full participation in society.

Nemafhohoni is a hero in the eyes of her community

Nemafhohoni is a hero in the eyes of her community, especially for disabled people whom she empowers. Matodzi Ntsieni, one of the people employed to work at one of Nemafhohoni’s projects, said:

Read also

Julius Malema says white South Africans are land thieves, SA annoyed as he calls for expropriation

“We are grateful for her life, she knows that disabled people are also human beings and they deserve equal opportunities like everyone else. If you look around her projects, they cater for disabled people also, which is something we need to be grateful for."

Ntsieni told Briefly News that without Nemafhohoni, she and her fellow disabled individuals could be sitting at home, doing nothing productive.

“I have been working here for years, and I do not even want to think where I’d be if it was not for Nemafhohoni who gave me a job. She should be used as an example to show the world that disabled persons are also able,” Ntsieni said proudly.

As a single mother of three, Nemafhohoni urged South Africans to empower and protect disabled people they come across in the country.

“Disabled people go through a lot as being disabled is very difficult and we need all the help and support we can get from our fellow South Africans as alone we cannot do it,” said Nemafhohoni.

Read also

"So powerful": Spiritual coach links Cwecwe's case to energy harvesting, SA divided

Expert shares the importance of small-scale farming

According to Dr Eness Mutsvangwa-Sammie, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre of Excellence in Food Security at the University of Pretoria, small-scale farming provides a major livelihood for rural families. Mutsvangwa-Sammie explained:

“It provides food and income to help them have access to fresh, diverse and nutritious foods, and the income affords other necessities like healthcare and education. Through small-scale farming, rural communities are empowered to be more resilient and self-sufficient."

3 More empowering stories from Briefly News

• A young teacher positively impacted her students' lives when she gave them modelling lessons at school.
• A South African woman warmed many hearts when she achieved one of her wildest dreams at a young age.
• One young woman inspired many people online with her video as she showcased how much she has achieved at such a young age.

Source: Briefly News