Mathews Sapemba dreamt of opening an entertainment industry in which he envisioned people coming and enjoying good music and food harvested from his farm.
Sapemba was one visionary man that opened people’s minds on a new type of farming which utilises locally available resources.
But death has robbed Malawi of such a mindset change champion through a fatal car crash that occurred in Lilongwe on Friday.
Sapemba had invested in poultry farming through which he realised his dream of bringing sustainable development in his home village.
Among other things, his investment brought clean energy electricity through his large solar plant to his village, which has also brought relief to communities as previously residents struggled to access clean water.
He was the founder and President of Umodzi, a social enterprise that mostly focuses on rearing poultry mainly quails and local chickens in a bid to improve lives of local people.
He was quoted in one interview having said: “Seventy percent of our poultry expenses is spent on food so I developed a system which is Bird Insect and Gardening Integrated System.
“Basically, this is a symbiotic relationship between insects, garden and birds. I raise black soldier flies and bees which is food for quails, good for soil and pollination, birds provide manure which is good for the plants which also becomes food for quails and people.”
Apart from poultry farming, Sapemba grew maize, cow peas, millet, sweet potatoes just to mention a few.
Sapemba was well known in his community for uplifting the livelihoods of women as he took part of his proceeds to give to women and he took pleasure in being around women and young people that are never moved by life’s circumstances.
Before his demise, he was building one of the largest quail kraals in the country, fish pond as well as owing one of the largest solar power plant and incubators in the country.
Mathew hails from Kasungu and he is survived by wife and children.
Though he lived in California, U.S. for sometime, his love and hope for Malawi was intact.
Meanwhile a lot of people expressed shock over his death describing him a role model, an innovative man, one that transformed his community with others wishing to have met him.
