Petronila is a smallholder farmer and chairperson of the Amcos marketing Co-op in Ngoley village, Tanzania. She cares for her nine-year-old grandson and elderly mother. 

However, she has not always felt so able to cope with all her responsibilities as she does today. 

Before joining a Farm Africa project, Petronila was farming cotton, sorghum and wheat, but was struggling to make an income from her crops. There were no buyers for the cotton, and the sorghum would get destroyed by animals in the night.

"The income was not sufficient. Sometimes I could only pay for half of the children's school fees, and sometimes I could not meet all of my family's basic needs."

Petronila also struggled to fully utilise her land and was only managing to farm a fifth of it. But in 2009, a year after joining a Farm Africa project, Petronila joined a farmers group and her confidence began to build as her knowledge increased. 

"I learnt techniques of modern farming. I learned about using row planting, displacing and using fertilisers and improved seed varieties. Before joining the project, we were not even ploughing the farm. We were just digging holes and planting the seeds." 

Joining a savings and lending group was another building brick of her success.

"I was able to get capital and was able to build a new house. I was also able to become a chicken farmer."

This year Petronila planted seven acres of sesame and has gone from earning 300 to 500 shillings a year to earning four million a year from sesame alone!

In less than a decade, Petronila, who once lived in a mud a straw house, has been able to build new homes made of strong foundations. She has become a leading member of her community and takes great satisfaction from sharing her knowledge with others. 

"I have been training other farmers. The other farmers in the community come to my house and ask me questions about sesame farming. Sometimes I even teach farming techniques at church. I'm proud that I can help. I remember how hard life used to be for me, and want to pull out others in that situation."

She feels the support she has received from Farm Africa has helped everyone.

"Most group members have changed the quality of their lives. Their children are all in school and they all have iron roofs."

With each success, Petronila's confidence has grown. Feeling better able to cope with what life throws at her, she continues to look forward to the future with optimism.  

"I am eager to see my last child go to university."