A total of 82 respondents in the two areas were interviewed. The age and gender characteristics of the growers are as shown in Table 1. The modal age of the interviewees was the 30-39 years and more females participated in the study.
In addition to information on household characteristics such as family size, educational status, farm size and experience of the farmers, the farmers have very small holdings and use traditional technology (hoe and cattle plough) for cultivation. Farming experience can be said to measure the number of years of participation in M. oleifera cultivation with a view to determining how such an experience has impacted to the farmer’s productivity in terms of the yield and input use. In the project that was developed by Komeho Namibia Development Agency, a national non-profit making organization in Namibia that was formed in 2001/2002 to contribute to Namibia's national development objectives, the communities in both Kaisosi East and Sauyemwa West were introduced to M. oleifera cultivation and utilization. The study areas were, therefore, ideal in studying the socio-economic benefits of Moringa to rural communities. The study areas were, therefore, ideal in studying the socio-economic benefits of Moringa to rural communities.
To garner cooperation of smallholders farmers and communities in Moringa programmes, it is important to understand the factors that influence behavior. Socio-demographic factors such as gender, age, income, and education have been found to be influential in community-based programmes. Hence, the inclusion in the study of the socio-economic distribution of the respondents with respect to gender, marital status, age, education attainment, farmers’ experience, and market of Moringa, farm size, family size and uses of M. oleifera.
Socio-Demographics of the Respondents
The socio-demographics are given in Table 1 in terms of gender, marital status, family size, employment status, age and education level.
Gender
Gender of respondents was 56.1% female and 43.9% male and is shown in Table 1. Namibia 2011 population and housing Census provisional report showed that female population was (51%) slightly higher than males (49%). The same trend is observed in this study in the growing of M. oleifera on the basis of gender, i.e., there are more female respondents than males. This categorization was used to establish the growing of M. oleifera on gender basis; that is, which gender is more interested in growing the plant. The Chi-Square Test on the uses of Moringa and gender of respondents revealed that there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the uses of M. oleifera and gender. This means that both males and females in the study areas use M. oleifera equally.
Marital Status
The marital status of respondents is such that 55 (67.1%) were married, 21 (25.6%) single and 6 (7.3%) widow/widower. It is common in many societies that single people are always in the majority compared to the married and widows/widowers but in this study, this was not the case because of the purposive sampling used.
Family Size
Every respondent is a member of a family; therefore, the determination of the family size is crucial. In this study, family size was organized into three categories, namely, 1-4, 5-8 and >8 members/persons. The result shows that 1-4 members were 9 (11.0%) whereas 5-8 and >8 member families were 31 (37.8%) and 42 (51.2%), respectively.
Employment Status
The employment status show that employed persons were 13 (15.9%), self-employed persons were 12 (14.6%) unemployed persons were 56 (68.3%), and only 1 was 1 (1.2%) retired. This means that there is high unemployment rate among the respondents, although the employed were second highest followed by self-employed. A Chi-Square Test of employment status and use of Moringa was carried out to find out if there were statistical differences in the use of Moringa among respondents based on their employment status. The results indicated that there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the use of M. oleifera and employment status of respondents. This clearly reveals that all respondents used M. oleifera for different purposes equally despite their employment status.
Age Ranges
The age ranges of respondents were arranged in the order of <20, 20-39, 40-49, 50-59 and ≥60. The highest number of respondents were between ages of 20 and 39 (48.8%), followed by <20 (17.1%), 50-59 (13.4%), 40-49 (12.2%), and the least was >60 (8.5%). To examine the uses of M. oleifera based on age range, the Chi-Square Test was conducted in which the result shows no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the use of M. oleifera between age ranges. This can be attributed to the consistent use of M. oleifera by every age range of respondents.
Education Levels
The education levels of respondents are presented in Table 1. Among the respondents, secondary education had the highest with 42 (51.2%), followed by informal education 19 (23.2%), primary education 12 (14.6%), tertiary education 4 (4.9%), vocational education 3 (3.7%) and others had least with 2 (2.4%). A Chi-Square Test of education levels and use of Moringa reveals that there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between education levels of respondents in their use of M. oleifera. This shows that every respondent uses M. oleifera despite the education level.
Table 1: Socio-demographic data of the participants
Variable
|
n (82)
|
%
|
|
n (82)
|
%
|
Gender
|
|
|
Family Size
|
|
|
Female
|
46
|
56.1
|
1 - 4
|
9
|
11.0
|
Male
|
36
|
43.9
|
5 - 8
|
31
|
37.8
|
Total
|
82
|
100
|
>8
|
42
|
51.2
|
Marital Status
|
|
|
Total
|
82
|
100
|
Married
|
55
|
67.1
|
Employment Status
|
|
|
Single
|
21
|
25.6
|
Employed
|
13
|
15.9
|
Widow/Widower
|
6
|
7.3
|
Unemployed
|
56
|
68.3
|
Total
|
82
|
100
|
Self-employed
|
12
|
14.6
|
Age Range
|
|
|
Retired
|
1
|
1.2
|
<20
|
14
|
17.1
|
Total
|
82
|
100
|
20-39
|
40
|
48.8
|
Education Level
|
|
|
40-49
|
10
|
12.2
|
Secondary education
|
42
|
51.2
|
50-59
|
11
|
13.4
|
Primary education
|
12
|
14.6
|
≥60
|
7
|
8.5
|
Informal education
|
19
|
23.2
|
Total
|
82
|
100
|
Vocational education
|
3
|
3.7
|
|
|
|
Tertiary education
|
4
|
4.9
|
|
|
|
Other
|
2
|
2.4
|
|
|
|
Total
|
82
|
100
|
Cultivation and Utilization of M. oleifera
The cultivation and utilization of M. oleifera in terms of years of farming experience, farm size, and uses and marketing data are given in Table 2.
Years of Experience as a Farmer
Respondents’ years of experience in farming given in Table 2 is not based on farming of M. oleifera farming but rather farming in general. The highest number of respondents had ≥5 years farming experience with 53 (64.6%). The second largest respondents had 3-4 years farming experience 23 (28.1%) and the third were 1-2 years farming experience 6 (7.3%), while < 1 year of farming experience was zero. The large percentage of farming experience can be attributed to the fact that farming is their main source of livelihood.
Farm Size
The farm size of the respondents in which 41 (52.4%) had >0.8 hectares of farmland, followed by 27 (32.9%) which was 0.51-0.8 hectares, 9 (11.0%) had 0.31-0.5 hectares and 3 (3.7%) that had 0.1-0.3 hectares as the least. This is an indication that as communal farmers, many of them have land of farmland to cultivate for their livelihoods.
Uses of M. oleifera
In this study, the respondents were asked to choose any three uses of M. oleifera from the following list: animal fodder, water treatment, food supplements, cosmetics, intercropping, vegetables, source of oil, tea, ornamental, fuel wood, medicinal, source of income and other. All on the list received scores except water treatment, cosmetics and intercropping. the ones chosen are animal fodder, food supplements, vegetables, source of oil, tea, ornamental, fuel wood, medicinal, source of income and other. Out of 82 respondents, the highest use was for medicine 56.1% followed by source of income (29.3%), tea (24.4%%), food supplement (19.5%), source of oil (17.1%), vegetable (9.8%) and ornamental (9.8%) whereas fuel wood, animal fodder and other were all less than 9%.
Marketing of M. oleifera
The respondents were also asked if they were engaged in marketing M. oleifera or not. Out of the 82 participants, 66 (80.5%) of respondents sell M. oleifera and 16 (19.5%) do not. The selling of M. oleifera by respondents was to generate income their livelihood. In terms where the participants sell their Moringa produce, all 66 (80.5%) out of 82 do sell within Namibia and only 3 (3.7%) are engaged in the export market. The latter’s involvement in the export market is through Komeho Namibia Development Agency which has an established export to Germany of dry M. oleifera leaves. In other words, these M. oleifera farmers supply to Komeho Namibia Development Agency, who then export on their behalf. The category indicated other refers to respondents who do not sell Moringa products but use it for their own consumption.
Table 2: Cultivation and Utilization of M. oleifera
Variable
|
n (82)
|
%
|
|
n (82)
|
%
|
Years as a Farmer
|
|
|
Uses of Moringa
|
|
|
<1
|
0
|
0
|
Animal fodder
|
2
|
2.4
|
1-2
|
6
|
7.3
|
Food supplement
|
16
|
19.5
|
3-4
|
23
|
28.1
|
Vegetable
|
8
|
9.8
|
≥5
|
53
|
64.6
|
Source of oil
|
14
|
17.1
|
Total
|
82
|
100
|
Tea
|
20
|
24.4
|
Size of Farm (hectares)
|
|
|
Ornamental
|
8
|
9.8
|
<0.1
|
2
|
2.4
|
Fuel wood
|
6
|
7.3
|
0.1-0.3
|
3
|
3.7
|
Medicine
|
46
|
56.1
|
0.31-0.5
|
9
|
11.0
|
Source of income
|
24
|
29.3
|
0.51-0.8
|
27
|
32.9
|
Other
|
2
|
2.4
|
>0.8
|
41
|
50.0
|
|
|
|
Total
|
82
|
100
|
Moringa Market
|
|
|
Moringa Selling
|
|
|
Namibian market
|
66
|
80.5
|
Yes
|
66
|
80.5
|
International market
|
3
|
3.7
|
No
|
16
|
19.5
|
Other - Consumption
|
16
|
19.5
|
Total
|
82
|
100
|
|
|
|