Page 108 - AFAP Success Stories 2020

Raquel Ernesto: Interest in Hode

Boosts Productivity - Agribusiness

Strengthened the Spirit of Sharing

Raquel Ernesto, who started a seed business by selling pandemic,”, she said.
small quantities in a mixed-trade stall in the village of
Hode in Chibabava, said she was experiencing a new Ernesto then explained that a light began to appear
stage in her life. at the end of the tunnel, when once again she started
receiving frequent calls and visits from staff connected to
“Everything changed in my life and that of the farmers FAR. She said that this team contacted governmental and
of this community when FAR implemented its activities traditional authorities, as well as local farmers.
in Hode. Our responsibility has increased because we
support several pillars, among them, the economic and “I started to realize that this was a serious issue when
social pillars. I mention the economic domain because contacts became more frequent. FAR spent time and
our whole population earns its livelihood from agriculture; financial resources taking us through training on how
and the social because whenever the spirit of sharing is to handle and store agricultural inputs, the business
strong, we all become family,” Ernesto explained. environment, and provided contacts with suppliers of
various types of inputs, until the moment of the actual
Raquel Ernesto said she did not believe it when AFAP delivery of the shop. I am speechless because my life
staff arrived in the interior of Chibabava district, asking and that of the farmers has changed for the better,” she
questions about the necessity of bringing agricultural confimed.
inputs closer to the farming community. Initially she
thought it was a joke at the very least, or if not that, then a There were many elements in preparing for the opening of
promise that would never be kept. the agricultural inputs shop that were remarkable. “What
amazed me was the training cycle and capacity building
In fact, she did not believe it was feasible to install a shop carried out by FAR, both of which must have incurred
dedicated to the sale of agricultural inputs in that region. “I them considerable costs. I was also impressed that the
could not believe it. The mistrust became more acute the shops had much better infrastructure, which resulted in
longer the process took, first because of tropical cyclone seeds being kept in better condition,” Ernesto said.
Idai that hit our region, and then due to the COVID-19

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