The rainy season comes with its delights. The Zakeo village has embraced its first tomato harvest. The quality of the tomatoes is so good that they can be described as red gold. The village is located in a steep valley, a good twenty minutes from the town of Fungurume. The land is naturally suited to any tropical crop. 

The farmers of the Tujikaze association in Zakeo were keen to share with Tenke Fungurume Mining and the TFM Community Social Fund their joy for the tomato harvest. “Naseke naseke, natemwa (I am laughing and I am happy)”, was the refrain of the song with which they welcomed their hosts.

A strong delegation from TFM and the Community Social Fund, led by Mr Hugo Sinza, Director of the Community Social Fund of TFM, went down to Zakeo. Engineer Cabral Kaboko, who is monitoring this project on behalf of the Social Fund, gave a brief presentation of the project. “This market garden basin in the village of Zakeo is one of the main collection centers for fresh food. We have adopted it as a pilot village. Based on its model, we plan to set up 10 integrated villages in the TFM concession," he explained.

According to the Social Fund's plan, each of the 10 villages will have 25 members, above the normal population. These members will form the core of the village to organise savings and credit activities in the form of a village savings and credit association (VSCA) over a two-year period. Training will be organised on five essential skills of a farmer, namely group management, finance, marketing, natural resource management and innovation. This is to ensure the sustainability of the business. The project will also provide support in terms of agricultural inputs for food crops and market gardening and livestock inputs according to the potential of each village.

After two years, each AVEC sends five of its members to the Kando-Nord farm-school for a nine-month apprenticeship in five production units: food crops, market gardening, arboriculture, livestock and fish farming. On their return to their respective villages, the 50 learners will share their new knowledge with the members of their home associations. 

This will enable the villages to choose two production lines, which they will develop into a production speciality.

In view of the achievements, Mr Hugo Sinza, director of the Social Fund, encouraged the association for their tremendous work and praised the TFM agronomists for their guidance.

TFM promised to support the association in completing the work already started, including the construction of the water tower and piggery and the cleaning of the fish pond.

Chief Zakeo, for his part, sees the success of this agricultural initiative as a life-saving activity, which will help the youth not to be seduced by the illegal and dangerous mineral digging activities.