A group of grannies and a few members of the community of Matsila were struggling to sustain their farming and bricks projects for many years, due to a lack of funds. Relief came when Chief Livhuwani Matsila and the Matsila Development Trust asked help from the National Lottery to develop their projects.

The lottery was touched by their needs to sustain their projects and donated R54 million last June.

Since the project was formed in 2010, the Matsila Development Trust and community members have bought a tractor, brickyard factory, 190 goats, 50 cattle, and a guest lodge for accommodating tourists. They also joined a community water scheme.

Although the projects are still in phase one, they created 250 decent jobs for local people.

The community project´s group leader, Gogo Selinah Mathukha, said that about 3 000 jobs will be created after the completion of the agriculture scheme and farming projects in phase three. “Our projects are successful because of the unity among us. We we are using the money for useful things,” Mathukha said.

One of the oldest project members and an advisor, Mrs Grace Thenga (84), said that the grannies wanted to provide an example to young people who were misusing money for their projects. “This is a real example that nothing will stop us to do what we want. We are still in phase one of our projects, and our grandchildren are going to get decent jobs when they join us one day,” a happy Thenga said.

Chief Livhuwani Matsila said that grannies and villagers have pleaded with him to apply for adonation from the National Lottery Fund to develop their projects through the Matsila Development Trust. "I tried my best until we got R54 million. I believe that ,after completion, 90% of villagers are going to get decent jobs. We are happy because, since we got the money from the lottery, we are managing our project in a proper way, without any divisions,” Matsila said.