Tumaini has worked for Farm Africa since 2012. With a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics and Business Development, he has managed a number of our projects in northern Tanzania, and is currently the Programme Manager for our Sunflower Project.

What attracted you to Farm Africa?
I wanted to help farmers at community level. My previous roles were more technical, whereas at Farm Africa I could help people in a more practical way.

Describe a typical day at work.
I go to the field at least three times a week to make sure the farmers are supported at each step of the project. I meet with them to discuss any issues they have - what is working, what is not working. The rest of the days, I look at project data and prepare reports, to identify lessons and key learnings.

What do you enjoy most about your role?
The thing I enjoy the most is training the farmers. I have a background in agricultural technology, so I am able to explain technical information to them so they’re happy and understand. And sometimes I’m like a comedian, so the farmers they really like me! It’s important because normally they have a lot on their minds. So when I’m trying to tell them about why a certain planter is the best one to use, I know they’re thinking ‘but I need to go home and feed my chickens’ and they don’t focus. So with my comedian elaborations they like to listen to me!

What has been your proudest achievement at Farm Africa?
We have developed a Business Score Card which I’m very proud of. When I visit a farmers’ group, I ask them some questions in advance. But the questions aren’t for me to score, they are for the farmers to score themselves – to check if they have all the right ingredients to make them a good farmers’ group. So it’s them, they ask themselves. Farm Africa is making farmers more independent, more responsible for themselves and more committed to do well as a result.

Do you have a message for Farm Africa supporters?
To the UK supporters I would say thank you! There are so many smallholder farmers who are suffering because they don’t have knowledge of how to improve their livelihoods. If the supporters can keep on helping Farm Africa we can help these farmers increase their knowledge and increase their incomes.

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