Interview by Mantoe Phakathi

Thabile Gooday is a Swazi farmer who is attending the FANRPAN Annual High Level Regional Food Security Policy Dialogue to help strengthen the voice of women farmers.

“I’m going to ensure that whatever I learn at this dialogue reaches women farmers back home,” she said.

An accomplished farmer, Gooday won the Woman Farmer of the Year 2008 Award. From humble beginnings with 300 broilers in a poultry project, over ten years her business has grown to place 10,000 chickens per month.

She also cultivates vegetables, keeps livestock and plans to develop an organic feedlot.
Gooday is also an elder under the FANRPAN’s Harmonised Seed Security Project (HaSSP) in Swaziland where, among other things, she provides policy advice to COMESA and SADC on the domestication of the harmonised seed security protocols.

“As HaSSP elder, I’m also interested in helping to shape the harmonisation of seed in the SADC region for the benefit of farmers in our countries,” said Gooday.

She believes that if women were to be given more opportunities Africa could realise food security in no time.