In session: CAP members are taught new planting skills with improved seed stock
New skills take Adélia from subsistence farming to business success
Nordino Vicente
Adélia Francisco, a subsistence vegetable farmer from Nhakolo in Mozambique, is now the proud owner of three goats and is looking forward to hosting livestock trade fairs.
“I have never had goats before, I’ve only been a vegetable farmer,” Adélia says.
Adélia is a participant in ForAfrika’s Community Agriculture Project, phase III (CAP III), which has seen 220 women learn new skills and earn money.
Previously, the 44-year-old mother of six toiled over a two-hectare plot which did not bear much at harvest due to a lack of quality seeds. Her life was a constant struggle and she was barely making it through each month.
Life changed
She says her life changed once she had joined the CAP.
As part of the project, Adélia and her peers received certified seeds and tools and were trained in good agricultural practices across nine demonstration plots. This initiative resulted in a collective harvest of 41.3 metric tons of diverse crops, including tomatoes, onions, kale, spinach, green peppers, and carrots.
As one of 20 selected farmers, Adélia also received three indigenous Landim goats – two females and one male. The project’s innovative approach requires her to pass on the first three offspring to another farmer, after which all new kids will be hers to keep or sell.
Goat farming offers unique advantages in this context: the animals require less food than cattle, they thrive in areas with limited pasture, and are easy to handle due to their friendly nature.
Village savings
Additionally, through the Nhakolo Village Savings and Loans Association set up with the project, Adélia and her friends saved money from the sale of their produce and chose to reinvest it in their small goat-breeding business.
“Now we have goats, me and nine of my group members from Nhakolo, were trained on how to take care of them. Once we are done transferring [the kids to others] and when all of us have goats, we wish to have trade fairs for ourselves. But for now, we are grateful at how these goats will make our lives better,” she said.
The CAP III project’s integrated approach – combining agricultural training, inputs, financial literacy, and livestock promotion – is creating a ripple effect of positive change for the people of Nhakolo.
For Adélia, the impact extends beyond immediate financial gains. She now dreams of enrolling her children in vocational schools to equip them with skills to participate in the growing local economy.
Nordino Vicente is manager of Sofala province in Mozambique
