The Amazing Success Story of a Disabled Zambian Moringa Ambassador

“My disability is God's ability because I can do everything through God who strengthens me. To some an obstacle is an excuse to quit but to others it is an opportunity to grow stronger and I choose to grow stronger.” Nkole Chanda

I e-met Nkole Chanda through The African Moringa Hub Whattsapp group and she has been a huge inspiration. Below is part of her Moringa story I am happy to share with the whole world. Read and be blessed. And please kindly share with others. You never can tell who the story will inspire and bless.

Nkole Chanda’s farm is located in Ibex Hill.

They keep chickens and grow vegetables and moringa.The moringa is sold as a food supplement and added to their chicken’s diet. She plans to plant more moringa trees in Kasama where they are blessed with land. Her Mum and late father loved farming and used to take them to farm during their childhood days. Nkole has an inspiring story to share.

She has progressed to achieve great heights despite her disability. She lost her mobility due to TB of the spine. Her dreams were shattered but she knew she had to move on with her life. Her paralysis affected her lower limbs and she has lived in pain for the past 15 years. The word of God and his promises gives her the strength to carry on and make wonderful achievements.

"I was studying IT. When my Dad passed away, I moved back to our farm and got interested in farming. I enrolled in bootcamp and completed a project in Moringa. My late father was in foreign trade, attending International trade fairs exhibiting Zambian products. My mum has been inspirational and with her love and support, we as a family are keeping dad's dream and vision alive by following his teachings. I love my parents to bits,” says Nkole.

“The greatest disability is the mind and we as farmers have to go through various different challenges. These include lack of capital, access to land, transport, knowledge and access to trade fairs, workshops and seminars.”

Ms Chanda is the admin of Africa Moringa and coordinator of Moringa Champions Zambia. Their objective is creating awareness about the different benefits of moringa in agriculture, health, beauty and the household. They have an online store as well.

A fast growing tree, moringa is one of the world’s most useful plants. The trees take six to eight months to mature with a lifespan of 30 to 40 years. All parts of the tree are edible making it a valuable crop. Carrying various health benefits, it is known for being highly nutritious. For agricultural benefits, the tree produces high quality fodder during the dry season. The leaves can be fed to cows, sheep and rabbits and the leaves are processed into powder and packed. Flowers are used as a natural pesticide.

“Oil from the seeds of moringa can contain 1 to 2 per cent of beneficial essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega 6. The oil can be used for cooking as well as a lubricant in fine machinery and fuel lamps and in the manufacture of soaps, perfume and hair care products. Fresh moringa leaves may be cooked and eaten as vegetables or processed into tea, powder and other pharmaceutical preparations. High in antioxidants, the tea made from moringa has been used to combat malnutrition in many parts of the world. The seeds and seed cake are an effective primary coagulant in water treatment as they have the capacity to remove up to 99% of bacteria from water,” says Nkole.

“The moringa tree offers new opportunities in agroforestry for smallholder farmers but its future development will need strong policies, research and market development strategies. Policies must consider the vulnerable, poor, and rural communities where it is produced. The presence of long taproot makes Moringa resistant to periods of drought. The ability of the tree to mitigate the effects of climate change is impressive. A Japanese study has shown that the rate of absorption of carbon dioxide by the moringa tree is twenty times higher than that of general vegetation. There is great potential for the moringa tree to not only store carbon, if it is grown on a much larger scale, but to improve the livelihoods of many farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.”

You can connect with Nkole on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/nkole.chanda.58