INTRODUCING TWALA

Verney Burdett is the director of Twala Farming and has 17 years of experience running and managing businesses in Southern Africa. He has over 10 years of farming experience and has 4 years of hands-on experience in regenerative agriculture. Verney is the first commercial farmer in Zambia to grow bananas regeneratively using his fungal-dominated compost. He has a passion for soil health and plant health. He is a Regenerative Agricultural Consultant and tailors cover crop programs to address specific soil resource concerns. He amends soil deficiencies using different types of compost and foliar sprays. He is a guest speaker for AKTC on soil health. He has also been a guest speaker at the 2023 Agritech event on Regenerative Agriculture on behalf of ZNFU. Under Verney’s leadership, Twala Farming continues to make strides in compost production and regenerative agriculture.

Susan Burdett is the director of Twala Farming and a highly experienced business manager with a career spanning over 19 years. She has a BA Hons degree in Business Management and is a qualified chef. Growing up in a family of farmers, Susan developed a strong connection to the land and a profound appreciation for the hard work involved in farming. Susan understands the importance of sustainable and healthy food systems. With exceptional organizational skills and a wealth of experience in project management, Susan oversees the company's finances, human resources, marketing, and agri-processing. Ensuring that all aspects of the business operate efficiently. Susan is also passionate about empowering women in business, recognizing the important role that women play in agriculture and the significant impact that empowering women can have on the industry's sustainability.

Sharon Kalasani is our administrative assistant. She brings valuable experience from the insurance industry to Twala. With a National Certificate in Insurance and a decade-long tenure at Zambia State Insurance, Sharon started as a sales representative. Here she developed strong communication and negotiation skills, leading to her promotion as a supervisor specializing in life insurance sales. Seeking new challenges, she transitioned to AfriFinance as a marketing officer, further diversifying her expertise. Now, as a member of our team, Sharon's knowledge of the insurance sector qualifies her for administrative duties and bookkeeping. Her attention to detail and organizational prowess have streamlined our operations. We are confident that Sharon's skills and dedication will continue to play a vital role in our mission to produce top-quality compost.

Regenerate response

Nicole Young is the Research Development and Outreach Specialist at Twala. With a degree in English and an Honors degree in Psychology from Rhodes University, Nicole brings a strong academic background as well as writing, research, and critical thinking skills to her role. Her previous experience as an English teacher has provided her with the ability to communicate complex ideas in a clear, concise, and engaging way, which is essential for conveying Twala Farming's mission to a diverse audience. Nicole's expertise in psychology has also given her an understanding of human behavior and the ability to develop effective communication strategies to reach a target audience. As a Research Development and Outreach Specialist, Nicole is committed to utilizing her skills and experience to help promote Twala Farming's mission of sustainable farming practices.

Chris has worked his way up the company starting as a general worker in 2015 rising to supervisor. Now with additional company training he has been promoted to supervise our Monitoring and Evaluating team. He leads the compost expansion and has signed up 500 small holder farmers.