Beatrice, Gift and Lightness live with their father Nehemia and their mother Maria in the Morogoro region of Tanzania. Nehemia is a farmer - he grows maize to feed his family, and tomatoes and sesame to sell. However, pests frequently destroy his crops. What he has left over he sells for a low price to passing traders.

As a result, Nehemia struggles to feed his daughters three meals a day. Beatrice, Gift and Lightness often go to bed hungry.

Nehemia’s eldest daughter Beatrice is 11 years old. Like most children her age, she is excited at the prospect of starting secondary school. However, in Tanzania families must pay school fees to attend secondary school. And Nehemia worries that, unless he can find a way to earn more from his land, Beatrice won’t be able to finish her education.

We’re teaching Nehemia and his fellow farmers to grow and sell the orange-fleshed sweet potato – a healthy ‘superfood’ that will transform their lives.

The pests that destroy his maize, sesame and tomatoes don’t tend to eat sweet potatoes. Growing this new crop will mean Nehemia can provide his family with healthy meals. The money he earns from selling what his family doesn’t eat will help pay for school uniforms, books, and – once Beatrice starts secondary school – her school fees.

With sweet potatoes for breakfast every day, Beatrice and her sisters will also have more energy to concentrate at school. And because this superfood is rich in vitamin A – which boosts their immune systems and helps keep eyes healthy – they can look forward to a healthier future.