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Beatrice's story

Growing drought-tolerant crops has increased Beatrice's harvest by 100% Growing drought-tolerant crops has increased Beatrice's harvest by 100%

Beatrice Kimwele is secretary of the Kevithe Women’s Group – a group of 29 female farmers living in Kitui county, eastern Kenya.

Little training leads to little income

Like many other families in the area, Beatrice and her family lived a hand-to-mouth existence, reliant on their twice yearly harvests to survive. As she had no formal agricultural training and was unable to afford to buy good-quality seeds her crops had little chance of thriving and generating the income the family so desperately needed. For up to three months at a time they survived on just one meal each day.

However, this once seemingly endless struggle is now a thing of the past for Beatrice and the other members of the Women’s Group. Last year, one of Farm Africa’s field officers started work with the group, teaching them which crops could thrive in Kitui’s dry climate and how best to grow them. Beatrice was also given some high-quality seeds so that she could put everything she had learned into practice on her farm.

Looking forward to long-lasting change

The results were astonishing. She planted the new seeds alongside her traditional crop of maize. Beatrice reaped a harvest from her new crops and grew 108lbs of green grams, 198lbs of cowpeas and 110lbs of sorghum – enough to provide three meals a day for her family until the next harvest.

“I look at my harvest and am thankful for this project. Our children are healthy, happy and educated”

Having reaped a healthy harvest, Beatrice then had the confidence to focus solely on growing the new crops. By using some of the money she earned selling her surplus at market she invested in high-quality seeds for drought-tolerant crops to plant during the next rains. She’s hopeful of another good harvest, and many more to follow!

By giving just $20 today, you could help provide another farmer like Beatrice with the seeds they need to start growing drought-tolerant crops on their land.