At the ripe age of 52, John Bokosi embodies the notion that abundance is a mindset and not a destination. Hailing from Namputu Village in Mulanje Central Constituency in Mulanje district, John ventured into fish farming years back. Realising that a key component of venture capital is diversification, and aroused by the now dead banana industry in Thyolo and Mulanje, he started banana farming on top of the fish ponds.
Bokosi went on to form Nanyumbu Namputu Men Enterprise group which got a loan of MK3.6 million in February 2022 from the National Economic Empowerment Fund Limited (NEEF). From this group loan, he pocketed MK300, 000 and invested the whole of it into each of the two ventures.
Six months down the line, he goes to illustrate his ecstasy at the prospect of him reaping K500, 000 from selling about 500 banana suckers at MK1, 000 each. His transcends to fullness at the sight of the ripe banana bunches that have wearied down the plants beckoning for harvest. He exclaims that these first fruits will push him to expand the farm as he plans to buy more land for the same.
Across the banana field, Bokosi has constructed two big ponds stocked with fish that, when he harvests, attract customers from as far as Blantyre. This micro-entrepreneur has managed to employ 6 guards to provide sentry to the banana plantation and the ponds thereby contributing to Government’s job creation drive.
Now that the 10-member Nanyumbu Namputu Men’s group has finished repaying the first loan in August 2022, the group cannot allow its dreams to fade. They have applied for a second loan of MK7.6 million from which Mr. Bokosi plans to get MK 1 million to further boost his businesses.
He urges fellow men to diversify ventures and utilise the small loans that NEEF provides to grow their businesses.