Photo Credit: Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (EWADE)

The Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise Smallholder Market-Led Project supported the Sikhunyane community under Nceka Chiefdom, Siphofaneni Inkhundla, in restoring degraded land through an integrated restoration approach. The intervention included installing erosion control structures such as gabions, reshaping gully walls in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land Use Planning and Development Department, fencing five hectares, and planting 210 fruit trees and 130 indigenous trees provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Forestry Department. A total of 35 hectares was protected, including a community graveyard, benefiting 30 households by enhancing their social, economic, and environmental well-being.

To support agricultural production, a solar-powered water supply system was installed. This initiative enabled income-generating activities such as fodder production and fruit tree farming, with harvested produce sold locally. A user group comprising ten women and five men was established and trained to maintain the site. The group was linked to the National Agricultural Marketing Board and formally registered as a business association. They cultivate 1.5 hectares of restored land for vegetable production, generating over 3,000 USD in three seasons. A portion of the revenue, five percent, is allocated to the maintenance of project infrastructure valued at 139,662 USD.