Rati Agric Delight
From a Small Livestock Enterprise to a Diversified Farming Business
The Starting Point
Gorata’s entrepreneurial journey had already begun. As a beneficiary of the Youth Development Fund (YDF), she had established a small livestock enterprise in Mabesekwa focusing on goats and had ambitions to build a sustainable farming business.
The Opportunity
Gorata’s entrepreneurial journey reached an important turning point through a partnership between IED, Palms for Life and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and Traditional Affairs, established to empower participants in the Mr. and Miss RADP initiative. As part of the partnership, IED designed the Rural Youth Empowerment Programme, comprising an intensive two-week entrepreneurship boot camp followed by 12 months of mentorship. Palms for Life provided seed capital to support participating young entrepreneurs to translate their ideas into productive enterprises. As the winner of the Miss RADP Beauty Pageant**,** Gorata received P70,000 in seed capital, which provided her with an important opportunity to invest in and expand her farming enterprise.
Turning Support into Productive Assets
One of the most significant decisions Gorata made was to invest her P70,000 prize in drilling a borehole. For an agricultural enterprise, reliable access to water is a fundamental productive asset. The borehole did more than address an immediate operational need; it created an important foundation for diversification and future expansion. IED also facilitated access to 11 hectares of land on her behalf through the Land Board.
The Transformation
Today, Gorata operates Rati Agric Delight, a diversified farming enterprise in Mabesekwa with activities spanning horticulture, goat production and broiler production. Her journey from a small goat enterprise to a diversified agricultural business demonstrates the potential impact of combining entrepreneurship development with productive assets and sustained mentorship.
What Her Story Demonstrates
Gorata’s journey demonstrates the potential of an integrated enterprise-development approach. Training created knowledge. Mentorship provided continued guidance. Land created productive capacity. The borehole created access to a critical agricultural resource. Investment converted opportunity into productive assets. Together, these interventions enabled a young entrepreneur to build a more diversified and potentially more resilient farming enterprise.
