Voices from the field

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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...

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 ...

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 ...

Uganda

May.11.2016

"My dream to educate my children has come true"

In Uganda Bugiri district, Nankoma sub-county, George Mutebe is now a proud farmer with his four-acre Mak Soy 3N variety bean field, after observing SG2000/aBi Trust soybean production demo in 2013. He learned proper agronomic practices for soybeans and adopted the technologies and cultivated four acres.

George recalls: “It was 2013, Mrs. Kemigisha Rosette, Program Officer of SG 2000, came to the marketing center and trained us on good agronomic practices for soybeans including planting in li...