With a mission to equip Mzansi’s youth with the skills needed to manage farms in the future, the black-owned Toutele Agriculture College South Africa is also committed to disability-inclusion in agriculture training. The KwaZulu-Natal-based college was started by Gostina “Gabbey” Malope who, in 2007, was declared unfit for work after a car crash that claimed the life of her twin brother.
Today, Malope is not only committed to preparing students for the demands of modern farming, but also to integrate disabled people in the world of agriculture.
“We are committed to integrating students with disabilities into our programmes and curricula,” she tells Food For Mzansi journalist Tiisetso Manoko. “It is our believe that providing an inclusive learning environment that is welcoming to everyone is key for emancipating people.”
As the principal and director of Toutele Agriculture College South Africa, you are set on growing the next generation of agricultural innovators and experts. You’ve had great success in the higher education space, but what is the one area of improvement you have to focus on?
As an agriculture college, we believe that students with disabilities have a bright future across all sectors. They just need spaces to be created in which they can work. With that said, we have an active disability office on campus. They are dedicated to helping these students succeed in their studies.
ALSO READ: Disabled former farm worker calls for more inclusive agri sector
In recent weeks, many state-owned agriculture colleges were in the news for all the wrong reasons. Things seems to be going better with private colleges, such as Toutele. What are your greatest achievements since launching in 2015?
We have grown [significantly] since we started in 2015, and we are proud of the fact that we have been able to serve youth and adults across South Africa.
Our clients range from young people to adults who have been working in agriculture for decades without having any form of qualification in the sector. However, despite their age or experience level, they all have one thing in common: finding economic participation that is right for them.
We are proud of what we have achieved thus far, but we are looking to continuously hold hands with people of all ages in helping them find those rare opportunities in agriculture that suits their skill set, interests, and goals.
We have established solid partnerships with AgriSETA and other key stakeholders. We not only focus on being a one-province college, but we also want to stretch our footprint and be a college of choice for those interested in the sector countrywide.
So, give us a sneak preview of some of the exciting plans you have in the pipeline and how you see this assisting students to enter the marketplace?
We are excited to announce that we are currently working on drone farming courses and other agriculture-related technology. We believe that technology is the future for every sector, and we are looking forward to helping people get started in drone farming.
We have a school of leadership in the college because we understand that for agriculture to be productive, we need effective leadership. We know that for a farm to grow, it requires a focused and goal-driven type of leadership. Our courses teach about agriculture properties and how to manage your farm or business. We want our students to not only know about farming on the ground, but all the aspects of farming.
How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted your college operation?
Covid-19 played a very critical role in how our college operates. We had no other choice but to switch to online learning as a way of continuing with classes. Despite that, our pass rate was higher than before because we were able to provide a safe and enriching environment to our students.
Agricultural colleges are set to be moved to the department of higher education, science and innovation. Do you believe that this is in their best interest?
The integration of colleges will greatly assist in qualification articulation. At present, students from our colleges cannot be admitted to universities. For this integration to be effective we need the department to train colleges on compliance and due diligence on what the department needs as a master beneficiary.
So, this process will help both parties. Students will be able to enroll in universities and further their studies to the level they wish, and colleges will be empowered by aligning their management systems with those of [the department of] higher education.
ALSO READ: AgriSETA backs move to migrate agri colleges
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