Elias Makori joined Valeska Commercial Village in 2010 after a commercialization campaign by FCI under the Tanzania Domestic Markets Programme funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. January 2014 was a turning point for his life when he got an order from National Milling Corporation traders to supply five bags (250kg) of African Night Shade per day for three months at TZS 60,000 (USD 35.27) per bag.

After completing primary school education, most youths in Valeska village, Tanzania, end up in tanzanite mining as a way of seeking fortune. Tanzanite is a rare blue gem and a popular alternative to blue sapphire. Elias Athanas joined his comrades in 1999 when his family lacked sufficient funds to take him to high school, but his luck would change when farming would provide him with a steady income as opposed to mining. To increase his small income at the mine, he engaged in maize production on the two-acre piece of land given to him by his father, but had low yields of 1000kg compared to the 4500kg potential after using proper agronomic practices. After harvest, he would sell at the nearby Merelani market and earn a mere TZS 300,000 (USD 379.00) per year.

In 2010, he started growing African Night Shade and kales on a quarter acre which resulted to yields of 4,750kg. Persistent low vegetable demand got him a total of TZS 760,000 (USD 519.94) per year. In September 2012, FCI conducted commercialization campaigns at Elias' Village and trained farmers on farming, production and nutritional benefits of Traditional African Vegetables (TAVs) and market linkages.

The campaign resulted to the formation of Valeska Commercial Village which was a convenient medium for linking farmers to the traders. Elias joined the Commercial Village and was selected as the Commercial Village Trade Facilitator (CVTF) of Valeska Commercial Village. A Village Business Forum (VBF) between four traders from National Milling Corporation (NMC) market in Arusha and representatives from the Commercial Village facilitated by FCI in January 2013 yielded enormously for the CV. This enabled exchange of information between the farmers and traders on production, market requirements and established linkages.

An agreement was reached through which the farmers would cultivate vegetables and sell to the traders who would then buy at agreed prices hence meeting consumer requirements. This motivated Elias to increase his TAVs’ production from a quarter to one acre which in turn increased his yields and income. In his first season, he harvested 9,650kg and got TZS 5,190,000 (USD 3,333.95), in his second season; he harvested 7,250kg and got TZS 1,038,000 (USD 666.79). This income helped him to start the construction of his own brick house; but due to drought, he was unable to complete it or even cultivate vegetables for the rest of the year.

January 2014 was the turning point for Elias when he got an order from National Milling Corporation (NMC) traders to supply five bags (250kg) of African Night Shade per day for three months. Each bag was sold at, TZS 60,000 (USD 35.27). In total, he made TZS 300,000 (USD 176.37) per day. From this income, he was able to complete the roofing of his house, paint it and fit windows. To ensure constant supply of produce to his customers, he came up with a simple scheduling strategy of transplanting seedlings from the nursery bed and planting what was required on the one acre he had dedicated to growing of TAVs. Elias is very happy about his increase in income and being a testimony to his fellow youth and influencing them to start growing TAVs. 

Witness Kileo is a wife and a mother of five children living in Kashashi village, 51 kilometres from Moshi town, Tanzania. Her family owns eight acres of land; five of the acres are dedicated to agriculture. For over 20 years, Kileo grew maize, beans and coffee. She however faced numerous challenges like low yields as a result of poor agronomic practices.

When FCI held a trade fair in her village in 2013, she learnt from one of the exhibitors, Centre for Agricultural Mechanization and Rural Technology (CAMARTEC), who install biogas, about the benefits of biogas. She learnt that biogas converts organic household waste into gas for cooking and lighting and that it is faster and easier to use as opposed to charcoal or firewood. She decided to have it installed at her home even though she could not afford it at the time. 

In the same year, FCI introduced the Domestic Horticultural Markets (DoHoMa) programme in the area. The programme was aimed at training farmers on good agricultural practices such as spacing, application of agro chemicals and fertilizers. FCI required that the farmers organize themselves in groups. As a result, three Commercial Producer Groups (CPGs) were formed and Kileo joined the Shalom CPG. She got elected as the Commercial Village Facilitator (CVF). Part of her job was to mobilize farmers to join the group which she dutifully did. From this initiative, Seven Commercial Producer Groups have been registered to date. 

After training sessions carried out by FCI, Kileo and her husband started engaging in tomato production on two acres of land. In 2013, they only managed to sell 40 crates at TZS 17,500 (USD 11.24) per crate, making a total of TZS 700,000 (USD 449.67). This low yields were attributed to use of inappropriate fertilizers and chemicals and use of traditional seed bought from other farmers.

The story changed in 2014 when FCI linked them with Suba Agro, an input supplier who provided them with agro chemicals and trained them on the proper use of the chemicals. Kileo purchased chemicals worth TZS 146,500 (USD 86.13). The impact was immediately evident! Her yields increased to 80 crates which she sold at TZS 37,500 (USD 22.05) per crate and earned TZS 3,000,000 (USD 1,763.70).

From the profits made, Kileo and her husband have managed to have a semi-modern toilet built, installed solar power, bought larger beds for their children, bought a television and now have plans to buy a DVD player that the children will use to watch educational videos. They are in the process of clearing some land to construct a new house using the revenues acquired from tomato production and are planning to take their daughter to college.

These profits also enabled Kileo to achieve her dream of installing the biogas system in her house. CARMATEC installed the system at a reduced cost of TZS 1,700,000 (USD 999.43) from TZS 5,000,000 (USD 2939.50).

Witness is very happy that she has handled millions of money and feels fulfilled that all her family needs are being met.

In three years working with Farm Concern International (FCI) under the Domestic Markets Regional Programme supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Daniel Lekwana has purchased a second-hand Massey Ferguson tractor worth TZS 13 Million (USD 6,270.26) and paid over TZS 3 million (USD 1,446.98) in school fees for his children! Daniel Lekwama is a smallholder farmer from Arusha, Tanzania. Before he met FCI, he could not sufficiently cater for his family. His narrative changed in July 2012 when he attended a nutritional training forum conducted by FCI on cultivation of Traditional African Vegetables (TAVs) at Majimoto Commercial Village. 

It is after this training that twenty farmers came together to form Kitumo Sonte Commercial Producer Group (CPG) in order to leverage on collective action. FCI enabled their capacity by facilitating their access to high quality seeds and planting materials which led to improved crop quality and production.

In November 2012, Daniel’s seed multiplication venture began when FCI linked him to Kibo Seed; an input supplier company that does verification and quality assurance before selling seeds to farmers. He was able to reproduce the tomato seeds (Tanya) on his two acre farm and made TZS1.75M (USD 1122.11). His investment yielded extra income when he cultivated an additional two acres of tomato seed in October 2013, harvesting 308kg that he sold to Kibo at TZS 38,000 (USD 24.41) per kg making a total amount of TZS 11,704,000 (USD 7518.42). In 2014, he sold 424kg of tomato seeds and generated an income of TZS 16, 145, 200 (USD 9491.76).

The introduction of Domestic Markets Regional Programme implemented by Farm Concern International and funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Tanzania marked a life time transformation to Vincent and his family.

Since 2011, Vincent has been regularly attending FCI trainings on good agronomic practices such as spacing, use of quality improved seed, fertilizer and early planting. Unfortunately, due to lack of enough capital, he could not afford to buy quality and improved agro inputs for all those years but in 2014, he decided to take a loan worth TZS 1,000,000 (USD 587.90)  from their group ''UFUGAJI'' which has a saving and credit  scheme and invested the money as follows;

In the current season, Vincent Benedict and his family are expecting to harvest 80 bags of maize from their 5-acre piece of land where he used to harvest 40 bags (average of 8 bags per acre). This was made possible after taking into practice good agronomic and proper use of inputs.

The anticipated harvest will be used as follows; 20 bags of maize will be stored for food security and the remaining 60 bags will be used to repay the loans since he doesn’t plan to take another loan. It will also be used to pay school fees, medical covers, finishing the house and installation of electricity. Mr. Vincent Benedict is a married to Egina and blessed with six children. Two are in secondary school, two in primary school and two are yet to start schooling.