When Prisca Chilemba returned to Malawi from South Africa in 2019, she had no school certificates to rely on and was uncertain about her future. After seeing the situation on the ground, she decided to find a way of creating a sustainable livelihood for herself.
It was not until 2024 that Prisca ventured into farming, using money she had brought back from South Africa. After her first season proved successful, she increased her acreage, turning what started as a source of income into a growing agricultural business. She has now employed four workers and is based in Mitundu, Lilongwe.
Through farming, Prisca has managed to buy land, build a house and purchase a water pump to support her irrigation activities. She has also acquired several dimbas as she continues to increase production. She focuses on fast-maturing crops under irrigation, allowing her to target up to three production cycles a year, while during the rainy season she grows groundnuts, sweet potatoes and maize.
“I started with the money I came with from South Africa because I wanted something that could support me. When I farmed for the first time, I saw that it was possible, so I increased the acreage to increase the profits, and it worked,” said Prisca.
Prisca has also ventured into poultry production, using an incubator to hatch chicken eggs and raise the birds for sale. She hopes to expand the poultry side of her business and eventually venture into pig and goat farming.
Her long-term goal is to increase the amount of land under cultivation and production so she can supply agricultural produce to more customers and eventually establish her own food company.
Eliza Misiasi, a fellow vegetable farmer from Mitundu, has hailed Prisca’s progress, saying her success demonstrates that farming can be transformed into a profitable business when farmers are committed to increasing production and reinvesting their earnings. She has encouraged other farmers to take agriculture seriously and see it as an enterprise capable of improving livelihoods and creating employment.
