Country: Rwanda

Claudine is a farmer from Rwanda. Previously, she struggled to grow enough food to feed her family and lived off of a small income. With training and access to finance from Opportunity, Claudine has been able to grow and invest in her farm. Today, her family's welfare has improved and Claudine feels more confident. 

Claudine is a 31-year-old woman with one daughter from Muhanga, Rwanda. Before, Cladine struggled to grow enough food to feed her family and lived off of a small income.

I felt that our life was just about surviving day-to-day, without any possibility of developing ourselves. Before, even finding food, it was just about hand-to-mouth survival.

Like many rural women, Claudine has a farm growing vegetables like carrots, cabbages and beans. Her farm supports her family with food and an income. But she faced challenges on her farm like buying fertilizer, seeds, and unpredictable weather.

Claudine and her Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) received training from Opportunity about financial literacy and regenerative agriculture. They were also connected to one Opportunity’s financial institution partners CLECAM EJO-Heza PLC, where they could access formal loans and savings.

Claudine took out a loan to buy more farmland and pigs. The livestock investment provided her with manure and an additional income. 

An Opportunity Farmer Support Agent taught Claudine and her VSLA about regenerative agriculture, such as how to protect their soil, mulching crops to conserve moisture, planting trees and using compost. Claudine realised her traditional farming methods, like digging land too deep and leaving the soil before planting, were harming her soil, increasing costs, and taking up a lot of her time. With what she has learnt, she has seen her farm’s productivity improve drastically, and expenses reduced. 

Before adopting regenerative farming: I used 2 kg of bean seeds on 2 acres, and I harvested only 20 kg. Now I use just 0.75 kg of bean seeds on the same land and I harvest 80 kg. This improvement has transformed my income and food security while reducing labour and production costs.

Today Claudine has seen her family’s welfare improve. She can now pay for health insurance, save regularly for her family’s future, buy clothes and shoes for her family, and has even bought a smartphone. She also feels more confident in talking with her husband about household decisions and feels able to speak up.

Beyond the financial benefits, I have gained something equally important, confidence. I am now brave, informed, and optimistic about the future.