Second Chances - The Story of Loveness Chikaiko

Having people who believe in your passion is important! Here is a story on how Loveness’s passion for irrigation farming was taken away from her by her husband however the story has a great ending because she later regained it back. 

Loveness Chikaiko is farmer whose passion for irrigation was lost because her husband discouraged her and started using the farming area for brick making. Loveness is a mother of four and she is married to Mr. Chikaiko and they have been married for 25 years. 

She joined Tithandizane club in 2017 and during that time till 2019 she was making so much progress in her life through irrigation farming but this all changed when her husband started to make bricks to be selling.  However Loveness has started to farm again because she saw that she struggled to put food on the table and clothe her children. Before Loveness stopped irrigation farming in 2019, she was one of the most hardworking members in the club in addition she was even a lead farmer, she used to help out in training other farmers on how to make irrigation basins and canals. She was one of the people who were identified to be given a windmill but this didn’t happen when her husband started using the garden for brick making. 

During the previous years she was making so much profits from the crops she sold and with this money she was able to pay school fees for her children, buy the school uniform, buy pigs and was able to buy fertilizer for the crops. The biggest profit she made when she invested MK50,000 (USD58.80) and made a profit of MK150,000 (USD176.50).

Loveness is happy with her club members for giving her a second chance by welcoming her back gladly after she left the club since she wouldn’t farm anymore. Now she is ready to start again with so much energy as she is hoping that AWP will give her a windmill someday to make her irrigation farming easy.  

When she stopped irrigation farming she used to meet with a number of challenges, like she wasn’t able to pay school fees for her children and buy food for the family because when she was farming she used to have vegetables which made it simple for her family to eat. 

What made her regain her passion for irrigation farming is when she saw other farmers progressing and when Africa Windmill Project started installing windmills in her area. At that moment she realized that she had been missing out and needed to start again.

“I am grateful for what Africa Windmill Project has done in my area it had opened our eyes in irrigation farming and I regret stopping farming because during that period I struggled financially and now that I have started again I will be the first lady in my area to own a windmill,” says Loveness. 

Africa Windmill Project is able to transform people’s lives by teaching rural farmers the right irrigation skills and techniques as well as giving them irrigation tools which help the farmers ease the process of irrigation this in turn helps people to end hunger and poverty.

Consider joining this transformation today by donating towards this project.