Kawumba Carol
Uganda
January.30.2018

“Acquiring business skills has transformed my life, my families”, Kawumba Carol

30 years old Kawumba Carol lives in Bukomolo village, Nandere parish, Kadama Sub County in the Kibuku District of Eastern Uganda. Her success started when she was sponsored by SG-2000 Uganda to go for a farm study tour in Masaka, a town in the Central Region of Uganda, west of Lake Victoria, under the Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) project.

That trip to Masaka changed Kawumba’s life, as narrated in her story: “We were taken to a model farmer, a woman whom many admired. She had banana farm...

Ethiopia
January.30.2018

Empowering Group with Special Needs

The Sashemene Association of Persons Affected by Leprosy is supported by the Nippon Foundation, and the Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (SAFE) as part of the initiative and rationale behind cooperation and selection of user friendly agricultural enterprises for Farmer Based Organization (FBO) members with special needs. In Kuyera, located just north of the main Shashemene town some 260 km south of the Ethiopian capital, this association had been granted 1.5 acres of land by the muni...

Yiftusira Ashenef
Ethiopia
January.30.2018

SG-2000 Ethiopia Empowering Women through CDP-WAD

28 years old single mother of three Yiftusira Ashenef is a host farmer of Community Demonstration Plot (CDP) in a 0.1 hectare plot in Wikma village of Gol Wikma Kebele, Enarj Enawga Woreda, East Gojam Zone, Amhara region of Ethiopia. She received training at farmers training center (FTC) organized in 30 members’ farmer group, of whom five were women. She first took training on agronomic practices like soil management, line planting, spacing, weeding, and post-harvest handling as well as training...

Nigeria
January.26.2017

"We realized crop failure is farmers’ failure"

This is the Maize Multi Actor Value-chain Platform and Disability Intervention in Tudun Wada, Kano state, Nigeria. The project is supported by SAA Nigeria’s Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) program.
Muhammmad Yaro is a maize Commodity Association Trainer (C.A.T.). He explained: “We have been organized in this maize commodity value-chain organization since January 27, 2014. I am training farmer groups specializing in the maize value-chain, which is functioning well. Last year’s harvest produced...

Mali
January.26.2017

SAA programs support women smallholder farmers in Mali

Women Assisted Demonstrations (WADs) are one of the Farmer Learning Platforms (FLPs) implemented as part of SAA’s focus country programs. In Mali, a total of 360 WADs involving 10 technologies were conducted in 120 villages in four administrative regions (Koulikoro, Kayes, Segou and Sikasso) during the 2015 cropping year. It is vitally important that women farmers are included in all stages of the agriculture value chain, and their involvement goes beyond gender specifi c programs like the Women...

Ethiopia
January.26.2017

Not one bean lost--something we never thought would be possible!

Grain storage loss to insects is a major challenge for smallholder farmers, at times estimated to be at least 20 percent for major crops such as corn and common beans. Without crop-saving bags, farmers need to sell their crops soon after harvest or use insecticides which are not necessarily effective or may not be safe because of improper use.

Ethiopian farmers, as in many other African countries, store their grains in traditional storage facilities constructed from mud, clay, dung, and plan...

Ethiopia
January.26.2017

"Implementing technologies has transformed the lives of me and my family"

Farmer Bashir Lemma is from Lalonora Kebele of Begi Woreda in Western Wolega zone, Ethiopia. He is an award winning farmer and father of seven. Bashir said: “Since I began using farming technologies introduced by the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), my quality of life has improved. One year after adopting improved seed varieties and a line sowing method, I began harvesting significantly higher yields.” Bashir left education 23 years ago at grade eight, aged 14. He remarked, “Thanks to the tech...

Braille writing
Uganda
May.11.2016

Maico Kaiondo, disability is not inability.

Chivuvu savings and credit group is a social fund group located in the Mityana District of the Central Region of Uganda. Maico Kaiondo, who is blind, is the chairperson of the group. He is a respected member of the community, model farmer, and trader in Chivuvu village. He has his farm, goat yard, piggery, chicken and other poultry, and a small eucalyptus forest.

"The social fund group has 20 members. We have the committee that leads the group and I am the chairperson. All these people ...

The happier Waibi Mande
Uganda
May.11.2016

SG2000 gave me life.

We are in Matovu parish, Nankoma County in Bugiri district, Uganda. Former tractor operator Mwanje James operates a maize sheller and hosts hermetic storage demonstrations. Thanks to the village savings and loan association (VSLA), he started operating his machine by providing shelling services to farmers. Out of that he made a good income, his standard of living improved and his children are studying in private schools.

He said: “All thanks to the support and knowledge I got from SG 2000. ...

Uganda
May.11.2016

“SG 2000 empowered our women processors”- Mwidu Naome.

News from the Pallisa Agri-business Training Association (PATA), in the Pallissa District of the Eastern Region of Uganda. PATA is one SG 2000-Uganda model, housed in One Stop Center Association (OSCA) to promote crop value chain activities. There are other 22 sister organizations with at least 25 members each. The Association processes Cassava into good quality flour and was provided with grating and pressing machines, drying racks and tarpaulins.

Mwidu Naome, the center manager and trainer ...

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