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November 2018
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If you are patient, you will SUCCEED
’n Beter Suid-Afrika is moontlik
N
apoleon Hill, the American author of the book
Think and
grow
rich
said patience, persistence and perspiration
make an unbeatable combination for success. Ms Jenette
Thembi Shoba from Mpumalanga proved this to be true.
Although Shoba had to leave school early to earn an income to
provide for her family, she managed to put her siblings through
school on a domestic worker’s salary. With parents who were farm
workers, she always knew that there was no life without agriculture.
Therefore, when she returned to the farm in 1994, she set herself
one goal: To fight hunger.
As the winner of the Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial Subsis-
tence Farmer of the Year award this determined grandmother has
proven that she is now one of those who fight against hunger and
poverty in South Africa. She makes use of the services of the people
in her community to get the harvest off the field and shares the maize
with child-headed households.
Shoba became a member of Grain SA in 2014 and really began
enjoying farming once she joined a study group.
‘I thank Grain SA for all the support they have given me. Thank you
for opening my eyes and teaching me that before I can put seed
into the soil, I must understand the soil. I know now that if you
are patient, you will be successful,’ she said at the function on
12 October. Her patience was rewarded as she achieved a yield of
7,5 tons on her 1 ha last season.
G
raan SA het vanjaar as ’n organisasie besluit om die
redakteur van die
Landbouweekblad
, mnr Chris Burgess,
met die Inspirasietoekenning te vereer. Hy ontvang hierdie
prestige-toekenning vir sy leiersrol in die organisering
van die eerste grondberaad wat gedurende Augustus op Bela-Bela
plaasgevind het.
Volgens mnr Jannie de Villiers, HUB van Graan SA, het Burgess
ongelooflike leierskap getoon om hierdie grondverskuiwende
transformasie-inisiatief saam met ander rolspelers die lig te laat
sien. “Dit is uit sy ondernemingsgees gebore en het die landbousek-
tor verenig en produsente van alle agtergronde bymekaar gebring.
Ons het na stories van produsente geluister en saam is van die
grootste uitdagings in ons land aangespreek.”
Vir Burgess is dit ’n besondere eer om die toekenning te ontvang.
“Hierdie was in der waarheid ’n spanpoging en ek dra die toekenning
aan my hele span op,” het hy gesê nadat hy die toekenning in
ontvangs geneem het. Dit was vir hom inspirerend om te sien hoe
mense bymekaar kom om uitdagings aan te spreek. Hy het Agri SA
en ook ander rolspelers in die bedryf vir hulle bydrae en
ondersteuning bedank.
Burgess het bygevoeg dat hy nooit gedroom het dat dié inisiatief
só suksesvol sou wees nie. “Ek is verstom oor die impak wat dit gehad
het. Dit was verblydend om te sien hoe landbou kan saamstaan.
Deur net met mekaar te praat, het oplossings vorendag gekom.
Dit het bewys dat ons as ’n land dinge anders kán doen en vir ons
nageslag beter kán maak.”
Hy glo die mense wat eintlik die toekenning moet ontvang, is
diegene wat sonder huiwering ingestem het om as sprekers aan die
beraad deel te neem. “Hierdie ongelooflike inspirerende individue
het gedoen wat andere gesê het onmoontlik is. Hulle het ’n verskil
in die land gemaak sonder om hul eie boerdery-ondernemings af
te skeep.
GRAIN SA
Awards ceremony
Subsistence Farmer of the Year category (0 ha - 10 ha)
Inspirasietoekenning
LOUISE KUNZ,
SA Graan/Grain
editorial team and
HELENUS KRUGER
(photo)
LOUISE KUNZ,
SA Graan/Grain
redaksiespan en
HELENUS KRUGER
(foto)
The 2018 Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial Subsistence Farmer of the
Year, Jenette Shoba (centre), enjoys the special moment with her sister,
Sibongile Evelyn Mthethwa and daughter-in-law, Sibongile Beullah Mthethwa.
Jannie de Villiers
(regs) en die wenner
van die Inspirasie-
toekenning,
Chris Burgess.