Female Farmer Buys Motor Bike from HQCC Business
Nancy Nandudu
Ms. Phoebe Amucu, a farmer and member of Alito Community Processing Group (CPG) is already seeing the benefits of investing in value addition of cassava. Phoebe is the first member of the group to realize the benefits of conducting business in cassava processing.
When Alito processing site was commissioned in 2014 by the Africa Innovations Institute (AfrII) at the commencement of the second phase of the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (CAVA II) project, Phoebe was very excited about the new innovation, which not only meant that she could be employed and provide a stable income for her family but also gave her an opportunity to step into the realm of men and operate machinery that women from her region are not traditionally allowed to handle.
After the initial training, she committed herself to every role that was assigned to her at the processing site, making sure that she saved as much of her little earnings as possible while providing daily meals and other needs for her husband and children. As excited as Phoebe was to be working in the same group as her husband, she longed to make her own earnings and be able to gain independence and the free will to develop in areas where she felt most attracted to.
The CAVA II team constantly monitored and supported Phoebe and her team with necessary information, trainings and linkages to markets through aggregators, thus increasing her hope in the successfulness of the business that she had willingly joined.
Within 3 months of the successful production and supply of High Quality Cassava Chips to recommended aggregators and other markets suggested by group members and AfrII, Phoebe was able to purchase a motorcycle, which had been her dream means of easing her transportation challenges.
Phoebe and her team are re-invigorated by this success and are more convinced of the benefits of investing in the cassava value chain. Alito CPG as one of the most promising processing groups in the northern region continues to scale up its operation methods and requires linkages to sources of finance to boost its business potential even further.
CAVA II seeks to increase the incomes of smallholder farmers (SHFs) and community processors through participation in profitable and sustainable value-added cassava chains.