Introduction: 

Sevelina Charles Kalengo is a 21-year-old married woman residing in Songwe District, Songwe Region, in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. She is the mother of one child and an active member of the Tanzania Rural Women Assembly (TRWA). In addition to her household responsibilities and family care duties, Sevelina works alongside her husband in agricultural activities. Their main farming activities include poultry keeping and maize cultivation, where they primarily use local maize seed varieties.

Challenge: 

Before joining the forum, Sevelina was involved in farming activities, particularly maize cultivation. However, her farming was mainly aimed at producing food for household consumption rather than generating income. At the community level, there were challenges in producing local seeds in sufficient quantities and accessing reliable markets, because she had limited connections with other farmers, especially those from different areas, which restricted her access to information, market opportunities, and support networks.

Action taken:

After becoming a member of the Tanzania Rural Women Assembly (TRWA), Sevelina gained opportunities to participate in various activities, including training sessions and dialogue meetings. These engagements strengthened her connections with other forum members and expanded her knowledge and skills. As a result, she decided to allocate one acre of land to the production of local seeds, not only to improve household food security but also to generate income. In addition, she aimed to share seeds with other forum members to support their farming activities in the following production season.

Impact:

Following forum’s efforts and support, Sevelina harvested 11 tins of maize, equivalent to 1,100 kilograms. She plans to reserve 3 tins for household food consumption and sell the remaining harvest as a source of income, and several customers have already placed orders for her maize seeds. Based on the expected sales, Sevelina anticipates earning approximately TZS 8,000,000, which will contribute significantly to improving her family’s livelihood and strengthening her farming business.

Human moment

Before joining the forum, it was a challenge to meet my family’s basic needs. Today, through farming, I am able to provide food, clothing, and other essential necessities for my household. I am also proud that other community members are learning from my experience and look to me as a role model. This has given me confidence and motivated me to continue improving my farming activities,” says Sevelina.

Future plan

Sevelina plans to expand her farming business by increasing acreage up to 3 acres, by producing more crops, she aims to generate higher income and better meets the basic needs of her family.    

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Sevelina is among of the forum members which has benefited from the initiative and continues to take advantage of the economic opportunities created through the forum, improving her livelihood and supporting her family’s well-being.