SACCOs enhancing women entrepreneurs (part 1)
24-09-2024Agriterra has been working closely with two SACCOs in Rwanda under the Farmer Focused Transformation (FFT) programme. These SACCOs - CPF Ineza and SACCO Impamba - have provided crucial support to women entrepreneurs in the Southern Province. With a budget allocated to 80 women’s projects across these two SACCOs, Agriterra aimed to empower women by offering lower-interest loans, promoting entrepreneurship and providing training on agribusiness finance. Additionally, these efforts included designing financial products tailored for women in agribusiness, which has significantly impacted the beneficiaries.
The collaboration between Agriterra and these SACCOs facilitated financial access and enhanced the women’s leadership roles within their cooperatives, creating opportunities for growth and development in their communities. Through these interventions, many women have been able to secure financial stability and strengthen their business operations, contributing to local economic growth.
Below are the stories of two women supported by CPF Ineza SACCO:
1. Evelyne Mukabaruta
Evelyne Mukabaruta, a 30-year-old entrepreneur from Ruyenzi Sector, Kamonyi District, began her journey with CPF Ineza in June 2024. By July 2024, she had secured a loan of 3,000,000 RWF to start her mushroom farming business. Before venturing into this field, Evelyne conducted extensive research on growing high-quality mushrooms to meet market demand.
“I supply a minimum of 20 kg of mushrooms daily, at a price of 2,300 RWF per kilogram. The demand is very high,” Evelyne shared. She attributes her success to CPF Ineza, which provided her with training on financial management and maximizing income from agricultural activities, and also offered her with a low-interest loan at 16% per annum.
In the future, Evelyne plans to expand her mushroom farm to one acre of land and extend her operations to areas such as Muhanga District. She hopes to increase her supply to over 100 kg per day and eventually secure an 8,000,000 RWF loan to invest in mushroom value addition, such as drying and selling. Currently, she manages 6,000 mushroom substrates, with each batch maturing in just five days.
2. Dusabemariya Athanasie
Dusabemariya Athanasie, a 45-year-old woman from Mugina Sector, Mbati Cell, Kamonyi District, has been working with CPF Ineza for five years to grow her business in agricultural and livestock inputs.
She sells fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, veterinary drugs, and farming equipment such as sprayers, hoes and machetes. Additionally, she offers advisory services to farmers in her community.
With a background in Crop and Animal Production, Dusabemariya started her business in 2019 with a loan of 900,000 RWF. Today, she manages a 10,000,000 RWF loan to expand her business to new locations. "My goal is to ensure that every farm in our area can access high-quality agricultural inputs to meet their needs. In five years, I hope to contribute to the country's journey towards achieving food security,” she stated.
Part 2, the story of Ayishakiye Ndaruhutse Jehovanis and Zaninka Athanasie, will follow soon
