Utete, TZ – Vicoba families Sesame production and business development story – Apr 2023

The farmers who planted their Sesame fields as usual, in January after the first rain, lost their sesame because it died due to the drought. KCM manager Dickson collaborating with the village farming officer, continued encouraging families to replant fields using their Village Community Banking (Vicoba) savings. This brought hopes to the families because consistent rains began in late March and were good for the sesame growth, which is now in flowering phase for June harvests. Dickson and the farmers are researching farming insurance policies to see if they can enroll to protect against 100% crop loss in the future.

The spray pump rental and other individual businesses continued contributing income to the Vicoba savings for supporting agriculture, loans repayments and home income regardless of the number of customers dropped during the long drought that threatened people’s lives financially from crops and animals dying.

Vicoba volunteers families thank KCM for continuing collaborating and supporting them through loans and knowledge for the better earning to assist their children, families and the community development. Also, the Vicoba volunteers’ families are expecting each to enroll with a health insurance in May that benefits couples and four children in each members’ family, They believe that the first capital is good health first.