ENHANCING WOMEN’S MARKET ACCESS IN AGRIBUSINESS

 

Welcome to Angonia, Tete, Mozambique.  My time with Peace Corps finished in June and after a trip home to the states, I have returned. I did experience a few reverse culture shocks, especially with the costs of items and how they are so easily thrown into the shopping cart, and the many options of toothpaste we have to select from, but it was still great being home.

For the next 10 months, I am consulting on a World Bank project for a non-profit called iDE (International Development Enterprises). “iDE is an international non-profit organization unleashing the power of innovation and market forces for poor rural households and helping individuals access the tools and knowledge needed to increase their income. iDE pioneered market-based development 32 years ago and has been serving the base of the pyramid ever since with market-driven ideas.”

This project is to promote women’s skills in the agricultural market.  Many things are to a women’s disadvantage here; low bargaining power, aspirations, low agricultural skills, all leading to low revenues. Hence the title of the project:

ENHANCING WOMEN’S MARKET ACCESS IN AGRIBUSINESS

The project is based on training 2000 women to increase basic agricultural skills (irrigation, seed quality, soil preparation, fertilizer, planting variations), basic business skills and establishing a network of market contacts. This project is unique because the women will also be receiving a “soft skills training” which are non-cognitive skills. What does that mean? Well for 9 sessions these women will be exposed to a training to promote PERSONAL INITIATIVE, the classes will ignite the self-starting, perseverance, and goal setting; skills that these women have but have been smothered and have resulted in low personal achievements.

The living conditions in these communities are barren. There is no electricity, limited clean water, and access to the communities is by dirt rocky trails.  Some stats:

• ·         17% of the households are single females
• ·         76% of the women are illiterate
• ·         Household welfare is low:
• ·         38% of the households suffered from famine in past 12 months
• ·         Female-headed households significantly more deprived than male-headed households
• ·         Limited women’s bargaining power: women are very rarely the sole decision-makers.

So the project will face some challenges, but the team I am working with is smart and determined. Stay tuned, the training starts in October and I will keep you updated.  Thanks for following.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Infected with Africa

I sit here in my apartment on my last Sunday morning in my village, and I am wondering why I feel so strange. My symptoms have been persistently obvious, as careful as I’ve been. Why didn’t I realize that this was happening?

I caught an infection.  I think it’s chronic.  How did this happen?

Have I been contaminated from the morning greetings from these people?

Is it the dusty roads, or did I catch something traveling with the other volunteers?

Is it the consumption of unprocessed food, or tomatoes straight from the ground?

Did the bakery make me sick?

Was the Peace Corps a steroid for the past two years?

Could the animals seen on the safari make me sick?

Are my children tainted as well?

Was a curse from the witch doctor placed on me?

The children, that could be it, un bathed, under nourished, bright smiled, curious; all those hugs, touches, that could have passed some cardiac  bacteria.

Yes, I am infected with Africa. Thank you Peace Corps.

Ps. “Maryangela’s Venture to Mozambique as a Peace Corps Volunteer” has spread this infection to 13,000 views over the last two years.  Thank you for sharing this illness with me, continue to check in to see my treatment, remember it is chronic and will require many years of treatment.

“Peace Corps volunteers around the world work with communities to strengthen local capacity, facilitate cultural exchanges and build relationships that last a lifetime.”