Kelvin Hamusonde Person For the Month

Kelvin Hamusonda has demonstrated good leadership skills and serious commitment towards his work since he joined the WCS/COMACO 2005. Kelvin is a possessor of Certificate in General Agriculture from Monze School of Agriculture in the Southern province of Zambia. He is an extension officer for two chiefdoms namely Mphuka and Mburuma under the Luangwa Office

Kelvin is responsible for mobilizing farmer under COMACO into different producer groups and offering technical training in various types of agricultural activities such as Poultry, fish farming, conservation and organic farming. Kelvin is also responsible for monitoring and evaluating performance of these groups. He does this with the help of community based trainers in agriculture whom he has personally trained. In addition, Kelvin is also promoting cultivation of rice by selecting suitable sites for the crop and establishing geographical positions.

The zealous young man has managed to promote poultry producer groups from 20 households to 200 households since he joined the organisation. Kevin has also trained the farmers in goat rearing and he is helping them to construct improved goat structures which Heifer International Zambia is currently promoting for improved goat production.

Under the fish farming project, Kelvin has trained approximately 80 farmers in fish faming management in the two chiefdoms. During the fish harvesting period in August this year Mburuma produced the best fish and about 106 kgs of fish harvested from his area. Further more Kelvin has helped the farmers to construct 16 more fish ponds in Mburuma, Kaunga vag.

In an effort to conserve the national forests, Kelvin has been following up notorious charcoal burners and entices them to join the COMACO Programme. Charcoal burners who voluntary surrender give up on their activities and comply with the set conditions as well as signing an agreement with COMACO never to get involved in charcoal burning again are offered better markets for their product once they join the programme.

He has been elected as a COMACO person of the month because of his great achievements in poultry and fish farming initiatives. He has demonstrated good skills in training, monitoring and technical backup for agricultural related activities.