News

Farewell to our Zambian colleague Ngolwe Sikazwe

This week we are farewelling Ngolwe Sikazwe, who has been with the Zambia Dairy Transformation Programme (ZDTP) since March 2018.

All of us at Prime Consulting International wish him well in his new role as Project Manager for a four-year World Food Programme-funded project being implemented by Development Aid from People to People.

Through his role as a Senior Business Support Officer with the ZDTP, Ngolwe worked with several Dairy Cooperative Unions made up of smallholder farmer members across six target districts in the Copperbelt and Central District.

He provided valuable technical advice and mentorship on governance, business and financial management, record keeping, business development and sustainability to develop cooperatives' business operations.

ZDTP Programme Director Angus Davidson says the programme has benefited from Ngolwe’s specialist micro-finance knowledge.

“He is fantastic to work alongside.”

Ngolwe says he has enjoyed working with ZDTP Programme Country Manager Tania Thomson, “who has been a great manager to me”.

He also appreciated “the flexible approach to the way we worked with cooperatives and farmers” and “the approach of looking at dairy farming as a business”.

“My proudest moment is gaining the trust of the cooperatives and farmers and having them realise that the ZDTP has their best interests [at heart], despite [the fact that] that no handouts have been given," he says.

“Other organisations have also come to respect us and take the ZDTP seriously as a programme because of the professional interactions we have had.”

Mrs Thomson says Ngolwe has made a real impact on the cooperatives that have been fortunate enough to benefit from his pragmatic advice.

“It has been a pleasure working with Ngolwe. We wish him well in his new role and are confident he’ll continue to positively influence the Zambian agriculture sector.”

Ngolwe says his new position relates to an integrated agriculture project that encompasses climate smart agriculture, access to finance and nutrition.

“I am looking forward to managing a team of 25 people and continuing to try and transform the agriculture sector.”