Last time we gave you an update on how Purity Kamotho has benefited from the knowledge she receives from the Hand-in-Hands training. Here is the second of two interviews with women who participated in group training about agribusiness, where we will hear about Consolata Njeri:

Consolata Njeri lives in another village in the area and she has also participated in the training. Consolata is 56 years old and has three children, two daughters aged 29 and 26 and one son of 24. They are all grown up but one of the daughters is a single mother and has left her two children under the care of their grandparents.

Consolata and her husband get their livelihood through crop farming in their one-acre farm. Together with 20 of her neighbors, she has formed a group called Kisima Jiunue group. They meet twice a month for entrepreneurship training and other group activities.

“We have been taught in our group how to do agribusiness rather than doing agriculture just to occupy our land and time. I used to plant when all farmers had planted and I would get low prices for my produce. However, we were taught how to take calculated risks. I decided to plant my potatoes during the dry season so that I can harvest them just when the rainy season begins. This will ensure that I get high prices for my produce and higher profit from my farm”.

In addition, Consolata has planted peas in their farm and continues to irrigate them. Their group was taught the principles of table banking and on how best to use such loans.

“I didn’t have money to buy seeds, hence I borrowed some money from our group which I used to buy high quality potato and pea seeds, which are likely to give me higher yields than the seeds I was using previously”, says Consolata.

She is happy that Gundua Foundation has started the entrepreneurship program which will benefit mainly women and improve their knowledge in doing business and being self-reliant.

“We are happy that this entrepreneurship program is being offered free of charge and is benefitting us with knowledge on how we can become self-reliant through agribusiness. We are hopeful that it will benefit as many women as possible in this community,” she says.