Visiting Farmer Interest Groups in Tanzania

A FIG showing its fields and various group projects (Matiganjola, Njombe region, Tanzania).

By Marianne Nørgaard Jensby

As part of my work as a project officer at ADDA in Denmark, I was in Tanzania in July to contribute to the ’NADO in Focus’ project. The main purpose of my visit was organisational development and capacity building of ADDA’s partner organisation NADO. There was, however, also time for field visits, so I could go on field visits for three days, visiting 13 of the project’s many Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs) and see the direct impacts of the project.

The first thing I noticed when being showed around at the fields by the groups, is the clear difference between the fields where the farmer has received training and the fields where the farmer hasn’t. Among others the maize plants are both taller, thicker and closer, and the FIGs tells with pride how their production has increased heavily since they started receiving training by NADO’s facilitators.

Together with NADO SACCOS, a savings and credit co-operative with focus on micro loans, that has been opened with help from ADDA, the FIGs now have an opportunity of increasing their income and supplementing with micro loans so they can invest in animals, technology etc. The message from the FIGs was clear: the project has helped them in achieving a higher income, which has encouraged more groups to invest and start up new small businesses.

Follow ADDA’s Facebook page where you can see more pictures and a short video from the field visits.

Tb.  August 17. 2015