Lo Mgqibelo, zingama-25 kuNhlaba, wuSuku Lwe-Afrika - umcimbi okhethekile osekunesikhathi kukhalwa ngawo ekhalendeni i-LittlePod. Sekudlule iminyaka emine nengxenye kusukela saqala ukuhlangana no-Irine Hendry, indodakazi yomlimi we-vanilla, ohambweni lwethu lokuya eTanzania kuNgqungquthela Yamazwe Ngamazwe Yevanilla ka-2019 eMoshi. Ngaleso sikhathi, kukhulu okushintshile, nakuba into eyodwa isafana. Ezimisele ukugcizelela ukuthi imiphakathi yabalimi be-vanilla ezifundeni zase-Equatorial isathembele ekwesekeni kwethu, u-Irine kuleli sonto unikeze uPaul isibuyekezo. Nanka amazwi akhe:

I-LittlePod yangisiza ukuba ngifeze iphupho lami futhi ngiguqule impilo yami. Ngangifisa ukuba i-Certified Public Accountant. Kodwa abazali bami, abangabalimi be-vanilla, babengenayo imali yokusekela izifundo zami. Kunenqwaba yabafundi abaneziqu ze-bachelor lapha futhi, ngaphandle kweziqu ezengeziwe, awukwazi ukuphumelela emsebenzini engangiwufuna. UJanet wathembisa ukungixhasa ngezifundo zami, okwangisiza ukuba ngithole umsebenzi engangihlale ngiwufisa, futhi manje ngisebenza njengomcwaningi wamabhuku wangaphakathi kuhulumeni waseTanzania. I-LittlePod ayisangixhasi, kodwa uJanet neqembu lase-UK basasiza ekuguquleni izimpilo zabantu ngoMkhankaso wabo we-Real Vanilla.

Umkhankaso we-LittlePod we-Real Vanilla ubaluleke kakhulu. Ibalulekile kubalimi futhi ibalulekile nakwimvelo. Ngenxa yokuthi i-LittlePod ikhuluma nabalimi ngokuqondile, abalimi bayakwazi ukuqonda ukubaluleka kokutshala i-vanilla. Bayazi ukuthi banesivuno abantu abasifunayo nabasidingayo. Futhi bayazi ukuthi kunabantu abakwazisayo abakwenzayo. I-LittlePod ikhuthaza abalimi ukuthi baqhubeke nokutshala i-vanilla. Baphinde bafundise abantu baseNtshonalanga lapho i-vanilla ivela khona nokuthi kungani kubalulekile ukuyikhulisa.

I-LittlePod ithuthukisa izimpilo zabalimi be-vanilla. Impilo yabo incike kubantu ukuthenga i-vanilla yangempela. I-LittlePod's vanilla paste eshubhuni ayilungele nje ukudla oyenza ekhishini lakho, isiza futhi nokweseka abalimi be-vanilla emhlabeni wonke. Ngiyalandela I-LittlePod ku-Instagram futhi ngijabulela ukubona okwenziwa abantu besebenzisa i-vanilla paste neminye imikhiqizo. Kuhle ukuthi i-LittlePod ikhuthaza abantu ukuthi basebenzise i-vanilla yangempela emakhishini abo esikhundleni sezinye izindlela zokwenziwa. Sidinga ukuthi lokhu kuqhubeke ukuze sihlangabezane nezidingo zethu eziyisisekelo futhi sivikele imvelo yethu.

Abazali bami bebengabalimi be-vanilla kusukela ngo-2007 - i-vanilla ibalulekile kimi. Ukuthengisa i-vanilla kwakusho ukuthi abazali bami babekwazi ukungikhokhela imali yesikole. Futhi kwaba nge-vanilla lapho ngahlangana khona noJanet ngo-2019 ngaba yi-LittlePod's Izwi le-Afrika. Kusukela lapho, izinto seziqalile ukushintsha. Abalimi abaningi lapha batshala i-vanilla futhi ubaba ukhuphule usayizi wepulazi, utshala i-vanilla eningi futhi washintsha eminye yezivini ezindala, ezikhiqiza i-vanilla pods embalwa. Maduze nje kuzofika isikhathi sokuvuna futhi lapha. Lokhu kuyinto esiyenza phakathi kukaJuni no-Agasti.

Isivuno sangonyaka odlule se-vanilla besingesihle kangako. Kuyangijabulisa ukusho ukuthi abazali bami baphilile, kodwa isivuno sango-2023 asizange sikhiqize i-vanilla eningi uma kuqhathaniswa neminyaka edlule. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi bekunemvula encane kakhulu lapha. Ubaba unalo ichibi lokugcina amanzi emvula futhi lokho kuyasiza, kodwa ayengekho amanzi anele okunisela ama-orchid e-vanilla kuyo yonke inkathi yasehlobo. Ukulima kwethu kuncike emanzini emvula. Ngithemba nje ukuthi isivuno salo nyaka sizoba ngcono.

Ngiyazi ukuthi abalimi be-LittlePod e-Indonesia basebenzisa uhlelo lwe-polyculture. Lolu uhlelo oluhle olusiza imvelo. I-vanilla orchid idinga ukuba semthunzini. Awukwazi ukukhula elangeni eliqondile. ETanzania, sitshala ezinye izitshalo epulazini le-vanilla. Kunezihlahla zikabhanana nezihlahla zikakotapheya futhi lokhu kunikeza ithunzi elisiza i-vanilla ukuthi ikhule. Inqubo yokutshala i-vanilla - ukusuka kuma-orchid kuya kuma-pods kuya emkhiqizweni wokugcina - imayelana nokulondolozwa kwemvelo. Yingakho abantu kufanele baqhubeke nokweseka abalimi kanye sebenzisa i-LittlePod's vanilla paste eshubhu!

Ngikude nasekhaya futhi abazali bami basepulazini le-vanilla. Kusukela ekugcineni Usuku Lwe-Afrika, sengiqale umsebenzi omusha eKalambo. Lokhu kungaphezu kwamakhilomitha ayi-1,500 ukusuka eMoshi, idolobha lakithi. Uhambo lwezinsuku ezimbili ngebhasi. Ngiqale ngoJanuwari, ngibe phakathi kwabantu abangu-850 okwaxoxwa nabo ngezikhundla ezingu-200. Ngibonga uJanet kanye naku-LittlePod ngokungisekela nokungisiza ukuthi ngifike lapha. Umsebenzi uhamba kahle, nakuba, ngeshwa, ngilahlekelwe yi-laptop yami. Ngidinga entsha, ngaphandle kwalokho kufanele ngihlale isikhathi eside emsebenzini. Kuzothatha izinyanga ezine noma ezinhlanu ukuze ukwazi ukukhokhela omunye.

Ngibheke ngabomvu ukugubha i-Africa Day kule mpelasonto. Lapha eTanzania, uSuku lwe-Afrika akulona iholidi lomphakathi, kusewusuku olujwayelekile, lokusebenza. Kodwa wumcimbi ozobungazwa ikakhulukazi ezikoleni. Isikole ngasinye sizoba nomcimbi woSuku Lwe-Afrika, futhi kuyajabulisa ukwazi ukuthi lokhu kuyinto eyaziwa emhlabeni jikelele. Ukube benginomyalezo engizokwabelana ngawo nge-Africa Day, bekungaba yilokhu: lokho I-LittlePod yemvelo ye-vanilla paste iyona engcono kunazo zonke nokuthi uma uyisebenzisa, usekela abalimi be-vanilla nemindeni yabo. Siyabonga kubo bonke kanye noSuku Lwe-Afrika Olujabulisayo!