Wilderness launches farming education centre in Zimbabwe

Safari specialist Wilderness has opened a farm and vocational centre in Zimbabwe.

The Ngamo Livestock Farm & Vocational Centre opened on February 14 in the country’s Matebeleland North province, between the rural communities of Ngamo and Ziga.

The centre offers young people aged between 17 and 25 a fully funded one-year diploma programme that covers theoretical and practical farming skills.

The facility, which has already welcomed 40 students, features a workshop, crop field, greenhouse, tractor and grinding mill, as well as boarding dormitories, a kitchen, lecture room and visitor accommodation.

Stage two of the centre’s development will see the addition of a solar-powered abattoir.

Wilderness has pledged to procure vegetables, crops and beef from the farm to use in its nearby camps.

The goal of the Ngamo Livestock Farm & Vocational Centre is to equip students with “the skills necessary for employment in the agricultural sector, or to become business owners and job creators themselves”.

The centre was established in partnership with the SADC TFCA Financing Facility, a regional fund that provides monetary support for conservation initiatives, and Children in the Wilderness (CITW), a non-profit that the operator supports.

Sue Goatley, impact manager at Wilderness Zambezi, said: “The opening of this centre is a huge milestone for Wilderness and CITW, and fills us with immense pride.

“This is not your ordinary working farm or training college. It is a beacon of hope for surrounding communities, which will protect livelihoods, foster resilience and build brighter futures for the people of this area.

“True to Wilderness’ Impact strategy, it embodies our commitment to creating positive, lasting change within the communities where we operate.”