Young doctor abandons prestigious medical career for farming

“Farming Zambia out of poverty,” is her motto.

While many young people admire the prestigious job of being a medical doctor, 27-year-old Tamara Kaunda has opted to hang her stethoscope for the oldest occupations of mankind-farming.

“I came to realise that the root cause of so many patients in UTH was due to poverty. It is not like people were getting sick, but the sickness mostly was caused by poverty and I said how can I help the nation,” says Tamara.

The young Dr. Kaunda, granddaughter of Zambia’s founding President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda (Her father and Dr. Kaunda are brothers) decided to abandon her medical profession in 2015 to venture into farming full time. Tamara turned to her memories as a child growing up on a farm in Chinsali District of Muchinga Province where her education was financed by proceeds from her family’s farm.

First step into farming

Tamara was seeking to encourage young people to venture into farming as a business while she was still in employment, but thought words alone while she maintained her lucrative job would not work as young people prefer practical examples. And that was her turning point marking the decision to take the lead through action.

“When I tell young people, that hey,guys I am a medical doctor, which is a high paying job, but I am in agriculture, they get encouraged because they say there must be something in agriculture that made her abandoned her well paying job,” says Tamara.

Tamara’s start in the sector considered home to the new GOLD was not easy.She had no experience or resources to go commercial save for her childhood experience on her parents’ farm. Determined to earn a spot in the agriculture sector, Tamara acquired some skills in agriculture through some trainings. With no money but armed with a fraction of new skills, Tamara bought second had seedlings trays and nets and that marked the beginning her farming business which has since grown into 879 seedling trays offering seeds of different crops and offering training under Billionaire Farmer Agric Solutions. 

Her motivation is for youths to push hard for their dreams. 

“Ideas matter more than money. When you have an idea and want to make it work you can start with anything, you can do it, but you must have patience to grow because success doesn’t happen overnight, you must be persistent, you must work your dream, “advises Tamara.

Financial discipline 

Most young people turn to fast cars, being slaying Kings and Queens with little resources that come their way,but Tamara thinks financial discipline must be tops. 

Tamara says her business, which she runs with her fiancée and partner Chiluba Kunda, also medical doctor who abandoned his profession for farming, has grown due to strict financial discipline.

“Whatever we realise from sales we put back in the business to expand it.”

Asked how much she makes every month, Tamara was reluctant to mention saying young people would get excited without realising how much work goes in. But we still pushed further not taking NO for an answer and a whooping K170,000 came out as the monthly  revenue from which she pays her 14 employees, other expenses and expansion of the business which takes up a larger chunk on the 24 hectare land. 

On government incentives

Questioned if government is offering any support and to young people in agriculture, and the answer is a bold NO.

 “No. there should be a deliberate move to finance youths in agriculture. If there was we would have had 10 to 20 green houses if we had finances needed. Government is so reluctant to finance youths in agriculture and young farmers are not even here,” she laments citing Kenya as one country were young people are thriving through government’s support.

She adds that Banks are reluctant to give young people loans because they don’t trust them and they don’t believe the sector has money yet it is key in poverty alleviation and job creation.

The challenge

Tamara challenges young people not to be limited by their professions and come out of the perception that wearing a suit and tie and speaking good English is a sign of success and wealth.

 “Instead of going to other people’s offices to look for jobs, we need to change the face of Zambia and employ others ourselves,” she says adding that: “We must take this chance to get into agriculture and produce for our country and the region as part of contributing to economic development.” 

Asked on her vision in the next five years, Tamara says she targets the export market and ends with her motto;

“The next five years will have a lot of money and working toward being featured on Forbes. We are also looking at bringing more young people in the sector. Poverty will be history and I’m super excited of getting rid of poverty,” she says ending with her motto “We’re looking at farming Zambia out of poverty.”

Her partner and fiancée 

Tamara’s business partner and fiancée is Chiluba Kunda a young medical doctor and last born son of Zambia’s late Former Vice President George Kunda. He says his motivation to venture into the sector most people perceive a preserve of retirees. 

Chiluba says young people need to make bold decisions about what they want and not succumb to pressures of society on what direction they need to take.

By Brian Mwale