A 30-member, youth-led cooperative, Nqabeni kaHawana Cooperative near Pietermaritzburg in the uMsunduzi Local Municipality, received a huge boost through agricultural assistance from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The MEC for the Department, Mrs. Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, handed over fencing, irrigation equipment, and crop and vegetable seeds to the cooperative, which is predominantly made up of women and youth.

Speaking at the handover on Friday 22 May 2026 at eNqabeni Community Hall, MEC kaMadlopha-Mthethwa said the area's challenges facing the farming community, including the poor condition of diptanks and unreliable water supply will be addressed in the near future. She committed that other community projects from eNqabeni would also benefit from agricultural inputs, seeds and seedlings as well as the installation of a borehole and the rehabilitation of a diptank later this year to further strengthen livestock and crop production.

The support forms part of the department’s ongoing efforts to empower youth and women in agriculture, improve food security, and ensure that farming communities have access to the resources needed to build sustainable agricultural enterprises.

In addition to the handover, the MEC urged communities to engage more closely with the department to access funding and opportunities available through the 'One Home One Garden initiative, poultry support programmes, and the department’s funded educational programmes.

This donation of fencing and irrigation equipment aligns with the MEC’s call for programmes that prioritise youth and women this year as well as fulfilling KwaZulu-Natal Premier Mr AT Ntuli's call to promote environmental greening through farming activities.