Change is the only constant in life… Thanks to a wind of change, Anny Mabuku, a 32-year-old fish trader, found her calling and decided to expand her skills to make more money. Here is the inspiring story of a woman who can now live happily, by fishing and by gardening.
Toiling away
Mother of two, Anny Mabuku is from the Litambya community in the Senanga District, Zambia. With an average income, the young lady was trying her best to make ends meet and support her family.
For many years, Anny has depended on fish trading as her only source of income. She had to walk for about two hours everyday to purchase fish at the Zambezi River, which she would then resell to her customers.
Fortunately, thanks to the Zambia Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries Programme (ZSSFP), Anny Mabuku would be seeing better days.
Additional income…
Supported by the European Union (EU) through the ECOFISH programme, the ZSSFP empowered Anny in many ways. While she was designated as the secretary of the Litambya community level fisheries committee, she gained access to several trainings, namely integrated fish farming and fishery resources.
This enlightening apprenticeship enabled the young fish trader to start growing vegetables as an additional source of income. Today, she is the proud owner of a Lima garden and can reap the benefits of her initiative! Gardening on the side helps her generate about five thousand kwacha (K5 000) to complement her fish trading business. With this new lifestyle, and a raised income for her household, Anny can now afford to smile!
And so much more!
With such an inspiring success story, Anny Mabuku has been instrumental in cascading knowledge to other fishers… Especially among women and youths! Along with other committee members, she has been conducting training in her community, to raise awareness on the importance of better managing their fisheries resources.
Now equipped with a fishpond, thanks to the ZSSFP, fish traders get easier access to fish in the village!
“The fishpond, located only a stone’s throw away from the market, will greatly help traders who no longer have to walk long distances to look for fish! This pond will help in reducing wastage as well, and subsequently help in selling even more”, underlines Anny.
Just like Anny Mabuku, other women are encouraged to turn their lives around and find alternatives to increase their income!
