Before the Domestic Markets Regional Programme implemented by Farm Concern International and funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation intervention, Esther a mother of 5 would grow exotic vegetables and sell the produce to brokers who sourced at farm gate. She would make average annual sales of Kshs. 60,000 due to the exploitation by middlemen who took advantage of her desperation to sell at a lower price. She later joined Kabunge Commercial Village and began selling her produce to Uchumi supermarkets through FCI linkage. 

Esther now makes an average of Kshs. 144,000 annually, a 140% increase from the previous Ksh. 60,000. The income has enabled her to buy a sprinkler for irrigating her farm, pay school fees for her children as well as meet other family needs.

Due to the profitability of the farm enterprise, her husband has joined her in the agribusiness venture. The family is now able to save at the individual and Commercial Village level and plans to buy a piece of land.

Nitutonya Commercial Producer Group (CPG) from Mwala started savings with a membership of 20, (12 women and 8 men). Each member contributes Ksh 100 per month. However, this was not enough for every member to borrow and purchase farm inputs. Members of Nitutonya CPG joined Itithini C.V and were trained on the Commercial Village Model, which emphasized on collective action by Farm Concern International under the Kenya Cassava Village Processing Initiative supported by Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and implemented by FCI. 

They collectively saved KES 7, 000 to purchase cassava cuttings and opened a savings account at Kenya Commercial Bank. The monthly contribution was raised to KES 500 per member and within four months, they had a cumulative savings of KES 45,000 which is shared through a revolving loan scheme at an interest of 10% per month. 

Nitutonya CPG got a loan worth KES 100,000 from Women enterprise Fund which members are now lending within the group at 10%. Members intend to plant more cassava for commercial purposes since they are sure of the market access. This will enable them to save more after sales hence enable access to more credit facilities.

Elina Sultan is a farmer and a village frontline worker from Nyongoro Village in Kilifi who has been in the fore front campaigning on cassava commercialization under the Kenya Cassava Village Processing Initiative supported by Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and implemented by Farm Concern International (FCI).

Initially, Elina used to be a peasant maize farmer also growing a few cassava stands for subsistence purpose. After FCI conducted cassava commercialization campaigns in Kilifi, she expanded this to four acres of cassava which are now due for harvesting. She has two varieties, Kibandameno- local variety preferred by the local traders and Tajirika- an improved variety released by KALRO. Elina expects to harvest at least 15 MT of Tajirika variety. Due to her hard work, Elina has attracted the attention of S4S NGO who sold her a solar drier on credit to pay in three months installment.

Four years ago, Bernard Ndawa member of Mbuvo commercial village (CV) was purely a subsistence farmer who was food insecure; he was always in the list of priority farmers when food aid was distributed in the area. Life has since changed after his involvement in the Extended Cassava Village Processing Programme (ECVPP) a project supported by AGRA and implemented by Farm Concern International (FCI). He he was able to pay his last born daughter’s university fees.  Since the onset of this project, the emphasis of farming as an enterprise has dominated the interactions resulting in change of perception from farming as a way of life to farming for business. Mbuvo commercial village has made strides in farming with a focus on producing and selling cassava, green gram and cowpeas.

Mbuvo CV is a growing trading bloc that trades with both the formal and informal sectors.  In addition, the KARI Katumani seed unit has contracted farmers in this village to produce green grams and cow peas seeds at a price of Ksh 90 (USD 1) and Ksh 70 (USD .82) respectively.

Mr. Ndawa has not been left out. For the past four seasons, he sold green grams and cow peas to KARI and other informal traders worth Ksh 150, 000 (USD 1,765). From the income earned from these sales, Mr. Bernard Ndawa has managed to pay university fees for his last born daughter at the University of Nairobi and also managed to buy a bull that he intends fatten and sell for higher price, a business he intends on growing. Mr. Ndawa is now foods secure and has been able to improve his livelihood by embracing agriculture as an enterprise.