From Crops to Coops: Mame Diarra Sene’s Thriving Farming Story

Mame Diarra Sene is a 38-year-old married farmer and mother of 4 children from the village of Mbellenghout in Senegal.  She is determined to create a better future for her family. Mame Diarra had been working with myAgro for the past 8 years. She firmly believed in the organization’s mission of providing farmers with high-quality inputs and achieving excellent crop yields. “I was drawn to their unwavering dedication to achieving good yields and their provision of quality inputs,” she highlighted. “Through my collaboration with myAgro last year, I experienced significant support in meeting the essential needs of my family.”

Realizing the importance of diversifying her income, Mame Diarra decided to venture into poultry farming. “I can sell them when I want and eat them when I want,” she declared. She had prior experience with poultry farming but had never obtained her chicks from myAgro before. She recognized the importance of poultry farming as a means of saving money and ensuring a steady income for her family.

Mame Diarra primarily raises chickens for food consumption but sells some of them to generate additional income. “With the 8,000 FCFA package, I can earn 20,000 FCFA or more when I sell them,” she explained when asked if it was cheaper to raise her own chickens instead of buying them.

Including poultry in their diet was essential for Mame Diarra and her family. She emphasized the quality and health benefits of consuming poultry meat. She also uses the eggs produced by her chickens to cook delicious omelets and occasionally sells them at the market.

Additionally, selling chickens proved to be a profitable venture for Mame Diarra, allowing her to cover household bills such as electricity and water expenses. The revenue generated through poultry farming had a profound impact on her family. It helped her provide for her children’s education and finance various family ceremonies. Moreover, it allowed her to complete the house construction and build a poultry coop.

When asked about her overall experience with myAgro, Mame Diarra expressed great satisfaction. The organization had not only increased her crop yield but also stabilized her family’s life. Additionally, she appreciated the knowledge she gained from the trainers regarding poultry care.

As a woman, Mame Diarra believed that engaging in agriculture, particularly poultry farming, offered several advantages. It provided her with the necessary funds to participate in community savings initiatives and family ceremonies.
Mame Diarra considered it essential for women to contribute to household finances. “We are all in the same household, and everything is expensive. We need to work together to support our families,” she explained.

In Mame Diarra’s village, agricultural activities were primarily managed by women, as they were responsible for running households. Their involvement in farming and poultry farming played a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of their families. “I am fully committed to continuing poultry farming,” affirmed Mame Diarra, “it has been instrumental in financially supporting my family. I aim to build on this success and further enhance our future.”