Changing Lives in Africa

 

 

Vegetable Gardens Improve Income

 
Marietta Martin, 38, is a  married woman of three children Neema age 14, Anna age 12 and Herman age  5. Two of her children are in primary  school, one is in Standard 7 and the other is in Standard 5 - her last born is in nursery school.

Marietta has been a member of the Qunaquary Farmers Field School in Kilimatembo village since 2009, and has received vegetable garden support from CPAR.  Her and her family are enjoying vegetables from her garden and now it is also her family’s main source of income.

On her one acre garden she grows varieties of vegetables like Chinese cabbage, lettuce, green beans, sweet paper and eggplant. Marietta cannot rely on her husband for household income because he was injured in a motorbike accident last year.

“Today thanks to CPAR I have the necessary knowledge and skills, and my garden produces beautiful vegetables and fruit.  Over the past two months I’ve sold my produce and earned Tsh 200,000 (about $150. This was something I never dreamed of!  This money assists me a lot in buying school supplies for my kids which costs me about 60,000 Tsh (about $40) over six months, and purchasing household needs like cooking oil, sugar and iodized salt which costs about 100,000 Tsh ($75) every six months. I feel rich now!  I’ve always had land and manpower but I failed to implement and utilize them fully due to my lack of awareness and skills.  Thanks CPAR, for opening my mind.  I am now assured that my children are going to have their education,” says Marietta.

Many women in Kilimatembo village have joined FFS groups and others still want to join in order to improve their knowledge about agriculture and vegetable production.  Marietta volunteers her time to pass her knowledge on to other women in her village so that they too can transform their livelihoods.

I have already started helping my neighbors and they are now doing much better.  They have amaranth and cabbage gardens and now they can afford their daily needs.  

The women of Kilimatembo village are facing some challenges in attaining their goals – a scarcity of water. If they were able to get access to a reliable source of water they would be able to scale up their production and market their vegetables throughout Karatu District.

 
I feel rich now!  I’ve always had land and manpower but I failed to implement and utilize them fully due to my lack of awareness and skills. 

Thanks CPAR, for opening my mind.  I am now assured that my children are going to have their education.
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