ways that changed communities - SNV

Lenah Chesang, a farmer
tending, to her crop. Right:
a passion fruit orchard
Passion fruit farming is quickly becoming the
jewel of Lessos, outshining traditional crops such
as maize and tea. More than 700 farmers have
embraced the new crop and the number is growing.
The farmers came together to form Lessos Horticulture
Growers Association. This way they can
bargain collectively for
better prices. In the
past 20 months, the
farmers have made
sales worth Sh14 million.
The project began
with a few farmers who
middle men mercilessly
exploited before SNV
Netherlands Development
Organisation
arrived.
“We helped the farmers
market their products
and encouraged them
to form an association. Today, they can happily
reap from their labour,” says Martin Musamali, an
economic advisor with SNV in the North Rift.
The fruits have transformed lives here if the testimonies
of farmers are to be believed.
Lessos can hardly satisfy this market. There
is a recruiting spree as the fruit promises
a livelihood for the villagers. Musamali explains
how the Lessos concept works.
“We want to guarantee markets so that
farmers can concentrate on production,”
explains Chesang.
phones.
Nursery
“So far it has
worked well. The buyer
is supposed to deposit
money in an account
as security bond so
that in event that he
fails to remit money,
the bond cushions the
farmers.”
Still, the payment has
been prompt. Money is
transferred to accounts
and the farmers get
an alert on their mobile
“Poverty,” says Bitok, “is a big enslaver
of people. It clouds the mind, it weakens
the spirit, and it incapacitates thinking and
exposes one to exploitation,” she says.
“This is my
office...
I have
worked in
these gardens
for
the past
two years.
Today, I’m
empowered
economically,”
Changing Lives 2010 6