The Royal Museums Greenwich estimates that 12 million Africans were enslaved between 1640 and 1807, primarily to provide cheap labour in Western countries. British ships are believed to have transported about 3.4 million Africans across the Atlantic to work on American farms.

Without casting any judgment on the 350 people who left the country earlier this week to work on farms in the United Kingdom, one cannot help but notice the ironic twist of fate. Unlike the horrific forced labour of the 16th century, we now see leaders of a sovereign state willingly sending young people to work on foreign farms.

This is all part of a formal government programme called 'Mkulima Majuu'. While the programme promises some form of skills transfer, it was surprising to find that some participants were returning for a second short-term contract. Even more intriguing is the growing interest from others wanting to join the programme, in a country where the average farmer is over 55 years old.