In the past three years, Hilda Chondo has increased her acreage on African nightshade, Amaranth and African eggplant from 0.25 to 1.5 of an acre.  This was occasioned by increase of income from an estimated TZS 100,000 (USD 47.6) to TZS 800,000 (USD 375.677) per month on her 0.25 of an acre, and production growing from 10 bags to 30 bags of vegetables per month. She dries vegetables on her solar drier as a value addition solution which increases their shelf life and value especially during the dry season when the dried vegetables are on high demand. 

Hilda received training from Farm Concern International (FCI), through several seminars within Tanzania and exposure visits to Kenya on various aspects such as; vegetable production, nutrition, food processing, and local drier fabrication & use.  She was linked to various partners including,  AVDRC (The Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center), seed companies, and trade fairs such as Nane Nane, a one-week agricultural fair that takes place every year in varying locations of Tanzania, resulting into increased knowledge of her enterprises. FCI linked Hilda with fresh and dry vegetable markets and input suppliers for quality and improved seeds.

“I have greatly benefited from the nutrition seminars conducted by Farm Concern International. I used to feed sweet potato leaves to the cows because I did not know these were food,” she says.

As a result of understanding the nutritional value of TAVs, Hilda has also increased the consumption of vegetables for her family from twice a month to twice a day. Hilda is a regular participant at the Nane Nane show where she showcases her vegetable drying technique. She is also getting an income of 150,000 (USD 69.09) a week as a trainer on drier fabrication and its use. She also gets TZS 60,000 (USD 27.64) from holding regular three-day seminars to educate other smallholder farmers on food processing. Hilda also fetches some income from vegetable seed multiplication which she sells between TZS 10,000 (USD 4.60) per kilo for Amaranthus and TZS 30,000 (USD 13.81) per kilo from Spider plant. Hilda uses this income to pay school fees and buy clothes for her family. She was also able to partially pay for her water pump which cost about TZS 1M (USD 460.61).

Hilda is married and has three children. 

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