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Sesame gives families a chance

Theresia Wilbrod supports her four children using the five acres of sesame that she and her husband planted in Tanzania’s Babati district. After learning new techniques to improve the quality of her sesame, her harvest has rocketed from four bags to 20.

Farm Africa works with sesame farmers to increase the value of their harvests, a crop which is well adapted to the local environment and has a profitable market.

Theresia’s four bags used to earn her just £56. But thanks to her better farming practices, she is growing more and earning more for each bag. This season her harvest brought in £1,180.

Sesame business

She said: “I have had training from Farm Africa to show me how to plant and grow improved sesame successfully and how to see sesame as a business. I know now how to work out production costs, how to set prices and keep records as well as how to access loans to build up my sesame business.”

We have encouraged farmers to form co-operatives so they can sell their produce collectively, and built a co-operative warehouse to store sesame until it is at its most valuable.

Higher prices

Theresia stores her harvest at the warehouse, rather than selling it straight after harvesting, helping her achieve much higher prices.

She is using some of her earnings to supplement her family’s diet and living standards. Theresia said: “I want to improve our living conditions and make sure my children can complete school – my husband and I did not get that chance. I feel better now I have improved my life and been able to build a new home.”

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