By, John Kabambala
Introduction
"Every season, the harvest was very small." How did that situation affect your family? "I felt pain seeing my children lack important school needs like uniforms, books, and food." Later, what did you discover the challenge was? "A lack of knowledge and good farming practices." How were the trainings? "They were completely different from anything I had ever attended." How did the neighbors react? "At first, they were surprised." Why did you continue? "I was ready to do what I was taught." What do you remember about the harvest? "Getting 15 bags for the first time." What position does Agnes hold now? "Now I am a unique leader." What has your support brought to the girls? "Many of them have continued to stay in school without economic barriers."
Background
and Early Life
Agnes Simon
is the seventh child among eight children of the late Mr. Simon Elias, born
over 30 years ago in Mvomero District, Morogoro Region. She is now the wife of
Mr. Jafari and a mother of three children: Jasmini, Fahimu, and Shaibu. The
family currently lives in Chakwale ward, Gairo District. Every dawn, when she
wakes up to the sound of birds singing, she remembers the life she lived a few
years ago before significant changes entered her family. "Before sunrise,
I was already carrying my hoe on my shoulder heading to the farm," she
says, filled with hope that perhaps that season would be different from others
that had brought great hardships to her life.
She used
traditional seeds inherited from her parents and followed the same farming
methods she had known since childhood, without changing anything in her
conventional farming practices. She had no knowledge of better soil
conservation methods nor how to cope with the effects of climate change that
were rapidly affecting their crops in Chakwale ward. "Every season I
worked very hard, but the harvest was small and insufficient for my family's
needs. I incurred losses and fell into endless debt," she recalls sadly.
Daily
Challenges
Agnes
explains her daily struggles "I often borrowed money to buy food and pay
for my children's needs, who required my support in their education and other
basic daily needs at home." "I felt great pain in my heart seeing my
children lack important necessities like uniforms, books, and enough
food," yet she worked hard on the farm without rest from morning until
evening. Sometimes she wondered whether farming could truly change her life and
improve her family’s financial security and children’s opportunities out of the
financial challenges that had surrounded her for many years. She saw her
neighbors continuing with the same farming habits, also facing similar problems
of low harvests and recurring hunger in their village. "Today, when I look
back, I realize that the main challenge was not a lack of effort or strength at
work, but rather a lack of correct knowledge and opportunities to access better
farming practices." She began dreaming of a day when she would receive
education that would support her transform her farming system and bring change
to her family and the entire Chakwale community.
The
Opportunity for Training
The big
change began when she got a valuable opportunity to participate in Conservation
Agriculture training through a program coordinated in partnership with the
Gairo District Council and development stakeholders including CAMFED, who have
been supporting women in their communities. My success would not have been
possible without the strong collaboration between myself, the local government,
and development partners. Government extension officers have been visiting my
farm regularly, providing professional advice that helps improve my production
every season. CAMFED provided me with starting capital and agribusiness
training that changed my perspective toward farming as a profitable business. I
also received training through The Sokoine University Graduate Entrepreneurs
Cooperative (SUGECO), where I learned vegetable farming techniques, fish
farming, and crop processing, which have helped increase my income.
The
government has been providing improved seeds and inputs to smallholder farmers
at affordable prices, and I have been collaborating with them to distribute
these inputs to my fellow villagers. This partnership between the government
and development stakeholders has brought significant changes to our farming
lives. I believe that if this collaboration continues, we will be able to reduce
financial challenges in our Gairo District and bring sustainable development.
"I thank all stakeholders for their support, and I promise to continue
spreading farming education to our community." This new knowledge opened
her eyes and enabled her to see farming from a completely different
perspective, becoming the foundation of the transformation she had sought
through years of struggle.
“My
name is Emma Isaya Ngobei. I am a farmer and a member of a group of 10 members
receiving agribusiness training. We receive this training under our
facilitator, Agnes Simon Elias. Through her training, I have learned better
farming practices and the use of modern seeds that withstand climate change.
Honestly, we have seen a very big difference compared to the farming we used to
do before. This year, I cultivated one acre of maize using those modern seeds
and successfully harvested 15 bags. This is a huge increase, because previously
on that same one acre I used to get only 8 to 9 bags.
These changes are not witnessed by me alone; all my group members have cultivated maize and each one has seen great improvements. Whenever we meet in class and discuss, every member shares the positive results they have achieved. Because of these results, the community regards Agnes with special respect because she has facilitated a significant change in farming practices and yields. In previous years, we did not get as much maize harvest as we are getting now, so these crops greatly support household food security and meet other essential family needs.”
Implementation
of New Practices
After the
training, Agnes received close guidance from government extension officers who
visited her farm regularly, along with input support that enabled her to start
applying the new methods on her one-and-a-half-acre farm. "At first, some
neighbors were surprised," to see her change the system she had followed
for many years of traditional farming, and some laughed at her, thinking she
had lost her mind by abandoning their ancestors' customs. "But I was ready
to try these new methods," she insists, because she understood that true
change begins when a person is willing to learn and let go of unproductive
habits. She started using a rope to measure spacing, digging holes at official
measurements of thirty-by-thirty centimeters, and using manure instead of
expensive chemical fertilizers. She planted sunflowers using improved seeds
recommended by experts and placed mulch to conserve moisture in her soil. She
carefully monitored the growth of her crops and recorded all the changes she
observed, learning from both her mistakes and successes.
Surprising
Results
When I saw
my crops growing well even during a period when rainfall was unreliable and the
sun was harsh, I realized that education is the greatest gift a person can ever
receive in life. "The first season after using conservation agriculture
methods brought historic harvests in my farm and amazed all the farmers in
Chakwale village who knew my previous struggles," she says joyfully.
"I harvested ten bags (10) of sunflowers from one and a half acres, an
amount that was double what I used to harvest from two acres before receiving
that education."
Her
neighbor who cultivated two acres using traditional methods harvested only
three bags of sunflowers that same season and was amazed to see the huge
difference between their farms. When he asked her the secret to her success,
she told him that success comes from using proven improved seeds and modern
techniques that cope with climate change. Agnes invited her neighbors to tour
her farm and see with their own eyes the methods she had used and the results
achieved. Many were amazed to see healthy plants and accurately measured holes
that had germinated well, which made many of them begin to believe in modern
farming techniques.
Economic
and Social Transformation
My life has
changed in ways I never even imagined in my dreams, because now I have enough
food for my family and surplus to sell at the market every harvest season. The
income I earn has helped me educate my three children in primary and secondary
schools without the difficulties of lacking school supplies. I have also been
able to improve my house by installing new windows, building a better modern
toilet, and buying better farming tools like a machete and a modern hoe. I have
saved money for the future and bought a sewing machine worth three hundred
thousand shillings (Tshs 300,000/=) to increase my income through tailoring.
Now I am confident about my life and my children's future, and I have no
terrifying debts as was the case before. I have bought school supplies for my
children and ensured they get proper nutrition at home, something that was
previously just a dream for me. My family has strengthened significantly, and
we now eat enough food three times a day, and we can afford medical expenses
when they arise without borrowing like before.
Agnes with her fellow group members whom she is training on Smart Agriculture.Becoming
a Farming Community Leader
In the
Chakwale community of Gairo District, Sister Agnes has become a pillar of
agricultural transformation through her extensive work in mobilizing and
providing training on climate-smart agriculture. Before this transformation,
farmers faced two major challenges of extreme heat and prolonged drought that
threatened food availability and affected community welfare. However, these
challenges are now being addressed as community members learn proper methods to
cope with weather conditions. Through Agnes's training, which is relevant to
current realities, the community is transforming by learning how to practice
climate-resilient agribusiness to ensure food security and build a strong
economy.
William
Nzaro, as the head of the agriculture department of Chakwale ward, regards
Agnes as a respected agricultural guide leader in her community with a unique
position in her community due to her training and excellent management. William
has a positive view that this education, which has already reached a large
number of farmers quickly more than 150 people because of what she does. She
has trained groups, and so far, she has trained 3 groups with a total of 45
people. Now, we estimate that those people will each reach 4 others. So, this
education will bring great economic transformation, although its implementation
and practical application may take time. The officer firmly believes that if
the community fully follows the procedures of climate-resilient agribusiness,
the economy of the community he oversees will transform and strengthen significantly
over the next few years.
Supporting Girls and Women to Thrive
Through my
success, I have been able to actively supporting girls and women to exercise
their agency in Chakwale ward through various ways. I contribute six thousand
shillings (Tshs 6,000/=) every quarter to our women's group for purchasing
school supplies for girls’ students in financial barriers to education. Through
these collective contributions and my personal efforts, I have been able to support
27 girls to access large notebooks for their studies as well as menstrual
products. "This support has enabled many girls to continue staying in
school and studying without any economic barriers," and many of them have
performed well in their examinations.
I have
become a real example to these girls that a woman can succeed in farming and
become a respected entrepreneur in her community. I encourage girls to believe
in their abilities and not allow themselves to be abused or looked down upon
simply because they are women. I prepare young women in agribusiness techniques
and teach them how to manage their businesses professionally. I have become an
ambassador for women's rights and gender equality in our rural community where
women were previously denied many opportunities.
Advice
I advise
my fellow farmers, especially young girls and women in our villages, to plant
improved seeds and follow better farming methods instead of continuing with practices
that have not produced the results farmers need. Real change begins when a
person is ready to learn new methods and adopt practices that are better suited
to current farming conditions that are unproductive in their lives and their
families. I believe that the training I received, along with the support from
the Gairo District Council and development stakeholders including CAMFED, has
changed my life and strengthened food security for my family.
My story
is real evidence that investment in agricultural knowledge, especially for
smallholder farmers, can transform the life of one family and ultimately bring
development to the entire community. I have become an ambassador for
sustainable agriculture in my community and continue to spread these methods to
other farmers so they too can rise economically. I invite all my fellow
villagers to come and learn at my demonstration farm and see with their own
eyes the success of conservation agriculture. I offer my sincere thanks to all
who have supported me on this long journey and pray that God enables all those
who wish to change their lives through farming. I am convinced that with
education, hard work, and collaboration, we can bring great transformation to
the agricultural sector in Tanzania.
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