Fode Camara is a 45-year-old, husband, father of 7, and Village Entrepreneur in the village of Karan (Bancoumana) Mali Office who has been working with myAgro Mali for 7 years. He has been instrumental in contributing to myAgro’s success on the ground. He was motivated to find a job and was excited to join myAgro so that he could support the people in his village. His role as VE not only gave him a source of income but also helped him to develop himself personally and professionally.
“What inspired me to join myAgro was the idea of getting a job and working for my village’s interests,” he says.“Since becoming a VE, I have gotten the opportunity to be known in my village, also it helped me gain the confidence of the village population and develop confidence in myself. Last but not least, it helped me to enhance my public speaking skills, I now feel comfortable speaking in front of a large audience.”
myAgro not only seeks to increase the income of farmers but also to support VEs in creating a stable source of income that can help them meet their family’s needs and invest in their own future goals. Fode is doing just that by using his pay for his children’s education and buying a plot of land, which he plans to start construction on.“The commissions gotten from my role have helped me secure a plot of land and I also pay for the education of my children and also feeding my family.” he says.
Fode’s advice for other VEs–have passion for the role.“To be successful as a VE, people should first and foremost have a passion for their job, also they should have motivation because nothing is easy, in addition, they have to be courageous because the work entails a lot of talking to audiences,” he says.“I would also advise people to gain the confidence of the community.”
