When we started enrolling “farmer leaders” – our initial goal was 3 per village –male farmers were quick to join. However, at enrollment meetings in Saré Bamoul village, the person asking a series of questions and one of the first to enroll was Diabi, a grandmother of 11 and life-long farmer.
Farming has always been her family’s main activity but for several years Diabi lived in town to see if she could raise additional income. After her husband passed away, Diabi returned back to the village to take care of her family and farm.
Diabi explained that her family used to use fertilizer when her family had two incomes (from her husband’s farming and her own activities) but since then it has been too expensive for the family to afford and she was really excited about the concept of myAgro – being able to pay slowly, over time for fertilizer, seed and training.
When asked if it was difficult to meet her payment goal, she agrees it was difficult but adds, “I sold cakes to buy myAgro scratch cards. If you work, you won’t have a problem.” She further affirms that next year she will do everything in her power to pay for her packet early on, “And I’ll wait for my inputs to arrive, without any worries!” she says.
Diabi notes, “The myAgro agent is always around in our village. Just yesterday he was here to say hello and provide some trainings – how to use the semoir and how to lay the seed and the fertilizer. Even if I make a mistake, the Agent is always there to help guide and correct me.”
Diabi hopes that with a better harvest, she will be able to pay for schooling and medical emergencies for her children: “I hope I will change my life and the life of my children.”
