Ethiopia: Improving livelihoods through sustainable forest management and beekeeping

Shashe Fekadu is a mother of three living with her family in the Amhara region in Ethiopia. When Shashe started with forest and beekeeping activities thirteen years ago, she had four traditional beehives with low production and a small plot of woodlot mostly for wood fuel supply for her own household. As her children were growing Shashe wanted to increase the family income, so that her children would have the possibility to study.

“Previously I did forestry activities only for self-consumption purposes, we used the wood for construction and as fuel wood. Before I joined the project I had only a small woodlot managed in a traditional way, with trees maturing after seven years and with low wood quality. I first started bee keeping with traditional beehives, but the honey harvested was low in quantity and quality.”

Shashe with one of her daughters by their homestead plantation

When starting to plan her business the honey and bees wax production was too poor both in quality and in quantity. Also the woodlot needed proper management to produce more. Shashe decided to join the FFD project, with the local partner Zenbaba Union. Shashe got information on the benefits of cooperatives, and is one of the founders of the Agunta Bee and Natural Resources Development and Marketing Primary Cooperative. With help of the FFD project support to Zenbaba Union, Shashe has been able to participate in different trainings on woodlot plantation establishment systems, and on modern beehives honey production.

“After joining the project, I have been engaged in model woodlot establishment, modern beehive keeping and agroforestry activities. The model woodlot establishment has reduced the maturation period of trees from seven to four years, and the wood quality is good. I am also benefiting from growing agricultural crops in the agroforestry system – the crops can be grown until the tree canopy cover is getting too dense. The modern beehives are giving better honey harvests, and the quality of the honey is fit for marketing.”

Shashe now has 1,5 hectare of forest land with established agroforestry model woodlot system, with a wood maturing period of four years. She has divided her woodlot into two parts, making it possible for her to harvest 0,75 hectare of wood every second year. Honey production sales are generating income every year. Shashe’s income has increased as a result of the project support, and she has been able to raise her family’s economic standards.

“My livelihood has improved since I joined the project. With the income generated from honey and forest products I have bought three dairy cows, my two daughters are studying in university, and I have been able to change my hut from having grass-cover to having a modern tin roof.”

Shashe´s new tin roof

Shashe is feeling positive about the future. Her daughters are now able to study, and despite the Covid-19 pandemic her business is running – when the situation gets better, she is planning to invest in more modern beehives, and to expand her honey and bees wax sales for better income generation.

This project is supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Tanzania: Microloans that change lives - Eva and Avelina

Establishment of the Village Saving and Loan Association (VSLA) has shifted farmers’ mindset towards business opportunities. It has enabled farmers to start small businesses and enhanced their wellbeing.

Mang’oto is a village in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The village has a population of 3700 people and is 2000m above sea level. The village is part of the Makete region, which struggles with poverty.

VSLA’s establishment was supported by the Tanzania Tree Growers Associations Union (TTGAU), which is one of FFD’s parterns. The loan program has been designed so that a group of people save money and then individuals can take loans when they need them according to agreed processes. Loans are only given to those who don’t have any other loans. TTGAU offers mentoring and coaching services to groups to ensure sustainable development and fair financials services to everyone.

Before joining VSLA, Mang’oto residents didn’t have enough capital to etablish businesses. Now families can take short micro loans to enhance their farming practices. Loans may be taken to purchase animals like pigs, goats and chicken, to buy chain saws to cut trees or to expand their business.

Eva Chengula

Eva Chengula, a 42-year old married woman from Mang’oto, has joined VSLA. She took a loan to build a toilet in her house because she didn’t have one. After joining VSLA, Eva has received training and now she’s dreaming of building a house.

Avelina Ilomo

Avelina Ilomo, a 30-year old married woman, works as a secretary and joined VSLA in order to buy land. Avelina took a loan of TZS 50,000 (17 euros) to buy 15 chicken. Now she sells eggs to her neighbours. In the future, Avelina would like to expand her business to 50 chicken. She would also like to buy more land where she could build a house.

"“When you support hard working people with good ideas, they can build a better future.”"

Tanzania: The transformation of Abdallah Vie

Abdallah Mohamed Ali, also known as Abdallah Vie, is a 64-year-old farmer from Mtakata village in Vitongoji Southern Pemba, Tanzania. He lives with his family of 18 members.  

TAHA’s Pemba agronomist Ally Kamtande during a training session with Abdallah Vie and his farm helpers at his farm in Mtakata village in Vitongoji Southern Pemba.

Abdallah started farming a quarter of an acre in 2010 where he planted tomatoes. The source of water for his farm was a local village bore hole.

“Carrying water from the water source with a bucket was one of the most difficult tasks as a farmer.” remembered Abdallah Vie. Due to not having enough money to buy a pump, he spent many hours carrying water over the years.”

Abdallah was among the first farmers to join TAHA in 2015 though it took one year for him to adopt TAHA’s recommended technology.

“I was attending TAHA classes from 2015 but I adopted technology late, now when I sit back I wish I would have started early. I was not sure of the technology that TAHA was giving us and thus I was scared to change from what I had been doing for so many years.”- said Abdallah

TAHA’s agronomist started by giving him hybrid seeds for trial and wanted him to compare them with the local seeds he was using. As we end 2019, Abdallah has more than 10 acres of land where he farms a variety of crops from tomatoes, sweet pepper, bananas, water melon, passion fruit and papaya.

“I can’t really compare the profit I used to get when I was doing local seeds to what I am getting using hybrid seeds. I had never exceeded a profit of 2 million TZS when I was doing local farming. After the transformation I have made a profit of 100 million in my four seasons. I am grateful to TAHA and particularly the agronomists for their contributions in my success”- Abdallah says with a spark in his eyes.

“I use the money I get to fulfil the needs of my family such taking my kids to school, medical care and also to improve facilities in my farm. I have also employed 10 people who are helping me with farm activities and my plan is to provide employment to more people when I expand my farm”.

This project is supported by the KEO 30 program from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Tanzania: Happy, breaking poverty cycles

When Happy Nyagawa thinks about the future, a smile appears on her face. When asked, how the revolving fund is benefiting her, she answers:

“Now I can pay for my children’s school fees and all the necessary items. I can start dreaming about expanding my activities and income.”

A 40-year-old Happy Nyagawa has 6 children and lives in Matembe, Tanzania. Happy has been rearing chicken and pigs for many years. She used to have 50 chicken and 5 pigs to sustain her family but this didn’t bring her enough income to provide a future for her children.  

Happy Nyagawa joined a cooperative supported by FFD. This has enabled her access to a loan of 500 000TZs (200 €) provided through a revolving fund. With the help of the loan, Happy continued doing what she knows the best, raising chicken and pigs. Now she is rearing 100 chicken and 10 pigs, and has access to feed, vaccinations and other treatments. Soon, Happy will be ready to start selling and thus will start earning a higher income.

She is now an advocate of small loan schemes and sees a bright future.

“I will educate my neighbors, especially women, that by being in groups, it pays off. I will insist to them tha thtey should engage in entrepreneurship”.

Zanzibar: Horticulture Hero

Farmers in Zanzibar practiced poor agricultural practices. They were used to low productivity and failure was common. According to government statistics, for many years, Zanzibar was importing over 80% of fresh food from Tanzania mainland, including horticultural products. However, 2015 was a turning point, the Tanzanian Horticultural Association (TAHA) began to promote horticultural production in collaboration with the government of Zanzibar, FFD and the Milele Zanzibar Foundation. Today imports have declined from 80% to 40% and now most farmers in the region have a success story to tell.

Dr. Omar Mohamed Suleiman and his family of 4 children were among the poorest farmers in the region. At that time, he was a Medical Doctor at Mnazimmoja Referral Hospital, and also working as a farmer to provide enough for his family. He was producing tomatoes mixed with cucumbers in the family’s 1-acre farm, using traditional methods of farming which resulted in poor and low yields.

“I did my best trying to produce more with traditional farming methods, but it did not work as the environment kept changing. It was my desire to become successful in crop production, but failure in my early days while seeing others succeed made me realize that changes in my farming methods were inevitable.”- says Dr Omari Mohamed

Dr. Omar Mohamed Suleiman, 50 year old (on the right) in his seedling nursery after engaging in Horticulture farming practices and innovative technology as a TAHA Member.

Dr Omari joined TAHA in 2017 with the need to change to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). The association also offers other services in addition to agricultural practices. The services include proper technological changes which result in higher yields, better quality and increased income.

“I knew very little about TAHA but my first step in joining TAHA was an eye opener to success. I realized that growing a successful crop means that you must develop all aspects of your farming system. Without TAHA, I would have not realized the potential that is within horticulture farming. TAHA trained me on how to plan and set goals, manage crops, connected me to input suppliers, and linked me with potential markets including tourist hotels", said Dr. Omari.

In one year, Dr. Omari has managed to get six times more income. Now his children attend a better school and can pay for college.

“TAHA has changed my way of thinking and gave me hope that, through knowledge and hardwork, everything is possible. Now I wish to send my children to study horticulture as I have seen its impact on changing someone’s life within a short period of time”, quipped Dr. Omari.

In Zanzibar many farmers are engaging in horticultural farming with the hope of achieving their dreams in life. Nevertheless, more support from the Government of Zanzibar, NGOs, and other development partners is still needed.

Tanzania: Erick Mbebati, Timber Businessman

Erick Mbebati is from Matembwe village in Njombe Region, Tanzania. Your support has enabled him to become a timber businessman.

Erick used to be a farmer but his yields were low leading to low income. He did not have enough capital to invest in agricultural inputs and like many youth living in rural areas, he had difficutlies in finding a job.

Everything changed in May 2018 when the Timber Market Centre started to operate in the village. Matembe’s Tree Growers Association (UWAMIMA) manages the Market Centre with the support of FFD and the expertise of Päijät-Häme forestry association.

The market started operating to increase smallholder tree grower’s income by selling their timber and timber products through the Market Centre. In the first 8 months, farmers’ income rose by 10% even when the political stability and policies governing the timber business were not favourable. The Market Centre has exceeded all expectations with its economic growth and job creation.

Like Erick, 35 other young people from the village were employed as casual workers. Currently, 50 youth are employed as casual workers in loading and unloading, sorting, piling and drying timber. In addition, 5 people are employed full-time by UWAMIMA.

"In August my boss appointed me to be a supervisor of his business in the market. Later in November I decided to start my own business and now I am supervising my own business."

— Erick

Erick Mbebati in the Matembe Market Centre

"After I heard about the market centre, I decided to apply for casual work and started working in the MC in mid-May 2018."

— Erick

Azam News report from the Matembe wood market in Njombe, Tanzania, explaining the benefits and challenges of being a forester and farmer and wood trader in the region. FFD and UWAMIMA are in cooperation in Tanzania.

Later that year, Erick joined UWAMIMA and is now benefiting from other UWAMIMA services like bookkeeping, product diversification, briquette making and business management. Furthermore, to increase the capacity of members, UWAMIMA developed a revolving fund scheme. Members can borrow money at a low interest rate, use it within one month and return the money to UWAMIMA. Erick is taking every opportunity that the project and the market are bringing to him.

"If god wishes, my plan is to expand my business and employ my colleagues. I would like to say the market centre is my boss. Currently, I am able to pay the fees for my younger brother and sister’s secondary studies. I am also able to send money to my mother."

— Erick

More rural people are joining the business. Services are being developed to assist the users of the market like buyers, sellers, workers and carriers. Roadside stalls are also increasing in the area and becoming a source of income.

Due to your support, the market centre is promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all (SDG-8). Many other stakeholders are looking at replicating the model in their own areas and regions.

Tanzania: Growing Potatoes - Growing Opportunities

The Faidika Farmer’s group in Kanani Village used to sell their potato harvest individually incurring high costs and feeling weak when negotiating with buyers. Today, they are organized, stronger and skilled. The Kanani Village group is one of the 103 groups who are involved in FFD’s project supporting Njombe Agricultural Development Organization (NADO) in Njombe Region, Tanzania. FFD with the expertise of ProAgria- Oulu supported 2080 potato farmers to increase yields and income in 2018.

The project follows a holistic approach built around increasing potato quality with interventions along the value chain. Farmers’ harvests have increased from 10MT/ha to 19MT/ha.

The recipe?

The combination of improved seeds and training in Good Agricultural Practices. Additionally, post-harvest losses have reduced due to improved storage techniques and storage infrastructures. Proper potato grading, collective marketing and networking strategies provided farmers with higher potato quality, regular buyers, more revenue and lower costs. Income has increased 68% from 1,250,000 TSHs/acre to 1,840,000 TSHs/acre.

 “After harvesting, we find a buyer together and collect our potatoes in the centres. Our cost of transportation has reduced because we share costs. Everyone contributes 10,000 TSHs. When we used to sell individually each farmer paid 200,000 TSHs alone. Also, profit has increased because we sell potatoes directly to buyers at a price of 5000TSHs/TIN. We have more profit than when selling to middlemen at a price of 4000 TSHs/ TIN”- explains the chairman

Improving rural livelihoods of small-holders means supporting women. During 2018, women made up 55% of direct beneficiaries and have earned their place as respected group leaders by outperforming groups lead by men.

Nevertheless, the situation is far from optimal. Smallholders lack economic resources, creating a pervasive loop: the inability to make investments keeps farmers in poverty.

By investing in rural organizations and value chains, you support Sustainable Development Goals.

Your support is ending poverty!