Farmer
At 27 years old, Nonny Penelope Wright is one of the few young female farmers in the country. She operates Sereledi Farm, which employs eight people and supplies milk, yoghurt and other dairy products to Maun and surrounding areas.
She is the only producer of drinking yoghurt in Ngamiland and contributes significantly to agriculture development in the region. Wright also motivates many aspiring young farmers, having co-ordinated, organised and hosted numerous agribusiness-related events over the past few years.
In 2015 she hosted the Botswana Young Farmers Field Day in Maun to celebrate and encourage young farmers in the area.
The field day attracted 250 participants. She also hosted the ministry of agriculture Letsema campaign, which brought together over 400 young farmers to showcase their products and meet stakeholders and officials from the ministry of agriculture.
Wright successfully launched the Sereledi Young Women In Farming Competition in 2016, which among other things provides funding for young women between the ages of 18 and 35 years who are already involved in agribusiness.
The winner for the 2016 competition was a young farmer called Amantle Nyemo, who walked away with P10 000 personally donated by Wright.
To enter the Sereledi Young Women In Farming Competition, participants had to upload their profiles on Facebook with images of themselves at their farming business sites. The top five entrants who attracted the most likes were chosen to make a presentation before a panel of judges at the Women in Farming Expo.
The expo was organised to encourage young women to venture into agribusiness and attracted women farmers from all over the country. It featured seminars and workshops that were meant to empower female farmers’ exchange of ideas and skills.
“I also mentor and provide guidance to entry level and seasoned young farmers who may be struggling to expand. I have made it my personal mission to encourage more young women to venture into farming,” says Wright.
She has also been interviewed by various media houses, advocating for more women to venture into farming and has a Facebook page on which young farmers can interact and share ideas. Wright currently sits on the board of the National Dairy Association.
Through the Botswana Young Farmers Association, Wright has consistently advocated for young farmers to take up dairy farming as it is a profitable enterprise that can also help the country become sustainable in dairy supplies.
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