“My husband and I worked every day to get everything ready for planting. We are old, and farming has taken a toll on our health. Many people overlook older farmers, but we still need support and we are proud to provide for ourselves.”

Manual farming methods remain a major obstacle to increasing production. Preparing land requires significant labour, while limited infrastructure restricts access to markets. Although farmers can produce enough to feed their households and generate a surplus, selling that surplus remains a significant challenge. Working collectively through the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) has strengthened their ability to organise production and opens opportunities to aggregate harvests, negotiate with buyers and improve access to markets. The president of the Union of Village Savings and Loans Association of Dekoa, Rene Sanze Gomba, points to stacks of produce stored inside his home.

“We produced enough last year, but look at my house,” he says, gesturing towards bags of maize and cassava. “We have no means of transporting our crops to commercial centres. The lack of market access is extremely frustrating.”