By Benedicto Hosea | Project Leader
We are dedicated to developing our community, from empowering women and young people, training and educating people, and giving people loans to help lift them out of poverty.Since the start of this scheme in late 2015, it has reached and benefited over 3262 direct beneficiaries, like Adeline, below. These beneficiaries become ambassadors to the community about ways of generating income without causing adverse impacts on the environment.
The microfinance scheme also teaches women and youth about the businesses and environmental linkage. It encourages all the beneficiaries to plant trees and more sustainable environmental practices.
“Probably, I would have been a prostitute to manage my life but that has been contrary because I am with my own food business which gives me between 20,000 and 30,000TZS profit per day. This amount of profit I earn a day, I pay 7,000 TZS to my two women who help me through a day, 3,000 TZS a rent and I save 5,000TZS to my personal saving account and 4,000TZS to my two VICOBA groups (Village Saving Loan organization- VSLO) and the remaining amount I spend it for my family food. It is difficult to understand but this is an exceptional good lucky I have in my life. I managed to buy freezer which adds values to my business, bicycle which helps me with local movements and I feel respected by the family members” – Adeline narrated. She is one of MVG’s beneficiaries who got businesses training and later injection capital of 160,000 TZS and later qualified for 320,000TZS for small businesses at Zeze village in Kasulu. She has two children and her business is now at Kazuramimba neat to Zeze village.
Communities in Rural Tanzania are heavily dependent on farming through difficult era of adverse climate change which effects food production and community health. Mboni ya Vijana has introduced best crop varieties of sunflower, maize and cassava to increase yields compared to local varieties which are prone to diseases and pests threats. The best varieties are of many values such drought tolerance, able to overcome diseases and pests attack, huge yields and best economically. We have been demonstrating how best they are using demonstration farms and some farmer’s farms. Farmers are catching up with us with interesting feedback and inquiries as read below;
Benedicto Hosea is the scheme leader at Mboni ya Vijana Group, he is the farmers focal person at Zeze and neighbor villages also trained by Tanzania Official Seeds Certification Institute a seed producer. Here he says; “Many families are now aware the differences benefits between local and improved seeds varieties in terms of all the benefits (drought tolerance, yields quantity and strength against diseases and pests). I receive between 15 and 30 farmers wants my help either in verbal advice or access to quality seeds. They tell me, you have brought a light among families here, we were farming but we were very illiterates to improved farming. We need to involve in improved and sustainable farming but we will keep ask for further assistance. This is what you need to keep understanding us as we are transforming lives through this project. I feed good to see farmers change they ways of production but I am shy to see that they are many with a lot of demands those I cannot offer to them” – Benedicto says.
Japhet is a small farmer with the family of 5 other members and he is heavily depending on what farms give to him for his family. He says, “I have my choice of cassava variety which is TARI-CAS4. I chosen this variety because it is supper than the other varieties at our soil. It is ready to use just after 6 months since planting it, it give me 30 tons of yield per in one year and cannot give me loss due to droughts, diseases and pests. This is why I choose this type” – Japhet finished.
Havyala loves the lesson on improving soil from crop residues by changing them into biochar which is then added into soil to keep soil moisture and nutrients. It does also in storing carbon hence play a central role in climate change effect management. “Yes, it is good and affordable way of improving soil and yield. I never knew about the huge benefits crop residues can do to my farms and yields. I am happy I can collect and preserve crop residues for my next farming seasons by turning it into biochar. I can no longer burn crop residues for nothing but I will be doing it for benefits” – He finishes.
Leonard supported to farm and managed two acres of maize at Zeze village. Before the adoption to best farming practices, he harvested 6 bags of maize on two acres of land. This year he has served the two acres and here is his feedback; “Changes come every year in my life. I cannot imagine who I would have been to date with my four children and my wife if I was keeping traditional ways of farming. I have adapted Mboni ya Vijana procedures and I have been harvesting 56 to 62 bags of maize on two acres which I harvested not more than 6 bags of maize before adapting the new ways of farming. I honestly thank Mboni ya Vijana and the people who support it. It is exceptional blessings we got by having MVG here. I am honestly appreciating wonderful food and income revolution we are achieving here under the assistance from Mboni ya Vijana Group” – Leonard substantiates.
The increase in productivities and acceptance of farmers to adapt new ways of farming and economical requirements at Zeze village and other Kasulu rural communities, we therefore needed to get prepared for processing, manufacturing, storing and marketing the process so we manage the rate and forecasted post-harvest loss. This requires more investment in storage facilities, machineries for manufacturing and accessing the markets.
Thank you again for your support for our work.
Benedicto
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