"My name is Daniel Mayala and I work as a travelling inspector for agricultural education in the province of Bas Congo 2. I think that stimulating entrepreneurship in agricultural colleges will give the schools a new dynamic. It will make the training more practical. With the support of VVOB the travelling inspectors will direct the headmasters to lead a small business on the school grounds. The teachers and the students must be involved in all phases of the management process.
The ITFAV (Technical Institute for Forestry, Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine) in Kisantu is one of the 31 agricultural colleges whose staff have undergone the training on entrepreneurship in December 2008. This was organised by the inspectorate, with VVOB support.
Since ITFAV did not have budgetary room for these activities, the teachers and students held a fundraising. Together they collected $23. With this amount they bought seven local chickens and a rooster from a refined breed. The school already had five pigs, one old boar and four piglets (two males and two females). They sold the old boar to have a working capital available to them.
The new chickens gave the nursery a significant boost. They produce ten eggs per day and the school sells them or lets them hatch. This way the school can also sell chicks, hens and roosters. Next to this, the pig unit has been a lot more competitive as well. The number of animals has expanded to 23 (young and adult). There is a limited accounting to keep track of expenses and revenues in the different production units.
Today the school increasingly plays a leading role in the sector and attracts many people due to its sales activities and radio broadcasts. They have even a doubled their enrolments in the 2010-2011 school year!"
