Moshi, TZ – Water pump helps family take advantage of market opportunity – 29 Jan 2016

The PTN family is taking advantage of Tupendane’s increased vegetable marketing efforts. They have improved their income from 25,000 TZS (US $11.90) per month to an average of 73,000 TZS (US $34.76) per month by selling organic vegetables to restaurants in Moshi through Tupendane.

Before starting to work with Tupendane nearly three years ago the father of the family was a day laborer for commercial rice farms. He joined Tupendane’s organic vegetable program in 2013. By 2015 the family was earning around 5,000 TZS per week selling vegetables. They enjoyed working in their garden and had ambitions of expanding the project but they were limited by water resources.

The family could grow a ¼ acre of vegetables but it would cost them 10,000 TZS per week to rent a water pump and this would use most of the profits. Tupendane worked with the family to agree on a water pump loan of 20,000 TZS per month. The PTN family has benefited by having affordable water access and the chance to own a water pump. Tupendane has benefited by having a reliable vegetable supplier capable of supply 60-90 kg of vegetables per week to be sold in Moshi.