Women Accelerator's Programme: Meet the mentees | Part IV
Women in business are at the heart of FAO’s mandate to reduce rural poverty and achieve food security for all.
That’s why in October 2022, 50 women entrepreneurs working in the agrifood sector across Sub-Saharan Africa were chosen to participate in the first year of the FAO-IAFN Women’s Accelerator Mentorship Programme for Women-led SMEs in Africa.
Participants were selected from an open call for expressions of interest by a panel of experts from FAO and IAFN.
CONNECT Portal will be regularly featuring the stories of the hard-working women who took part in the programme. You can read the second in our series of articles on these women below.
Silahlekelwe Mbofana
Silahlekelwe Mbofana is the founder of Tarima Vegetables, a women-driven agribusiness based in Harare, Domboshova and most recently Murehwa. Since moving into the world of agriculture in 2008, Silahlekelwe has employed young women and men from less privileged backgrounds in Zimbabwe as farm aides in her projects and empowers them by providing them with income to foster both independence and financial stability.
Tarima Vegetables grows oyster mushrooms, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, bird's eye chilies, finger millet and indigenous fruit trees. Tarima’s primary market is bulk traders who buy their produce on a cash basis, allowing them to reinvest the profits back into the business.
In 2021, Silahlekelwe established Zihlahla Trees Foundation (ZTF), a non-profit organization aimed at combating climate change and deforestation through tree planting and environmental clean-up. ZTF’s goal is to plant one million trees across Zimbabwe.
“The Leadership and Human Resource Workshop gave me new skill sets which have been instrumental in transforming my leadership style. I have learnt to improve team productivity using small high impact teams and blended working. Managing people has become an exciting challenge through implementing e-learning portal lessons!”
Thokozani Chimasula
Thokozani Chimasula founded and leads Tac-Maz Sustainable Ventures, a biodiversity enterprise that addresses food insecurity and lack of nutritious food in the face of climate change. With more than a decade of experience in the development sector, she witnessed firsthand the dire effects of food insecurity and malnutrition on Malawian communities, particularly among women and children.
Tac-Maz Sustainable Ventures aims to promote sustainable living and excellent health by offering communities a range of high-quality, affordable and nutritious products. The enterprise empowers women farmers by involving them in the production and supply systems, providing them with training in sustainable agriculture, and granting them access to profitable markets.
Tac-Maz adopts sustainable agricultural methods to grow horticultural products and raise different livestock breeds that are adaptable to the changing environment and produce more within a given timeframe. Currently, the enterprise is expanding into the processing of low-cost products with high value under the brand name of Maziko Sustainable Foods.
“I am privileged to have been paired with a wonderful, amazing woman as my mentor. Ms. Edith is a trailblazer in the poultry production industry in Ghana. The woman is inspirational. As busy as she gets, whenever I need some guidance, she shows up to help me even with the tiny things. … When I look at her, I see the world's next big thing in poultry production, but she assures me that she started so small and that she is growing with time. She assures me that challenges are bound to happen, but I must keep going and learn from her as she has been in a similar situation. I am glad I was paired with the best mentor. And am glad I have been given this opportunity to learn through the accelerator programme.”
Maimbolwa Mooto
Maimbolwa Mooto is the founder and CEO of Mootoo Farms Limited, which specializes in the production and distribution of fruits and fruit tree seedlings, including avocados, fibreless mangoes and cashew nuts. Her vision is to eradicate poverty, hunger, malnutrition, deforestation caused by charcoal burning and unemployment in the agribusiness sector, with a particular focus on fruit farming and incorporating marginalized women and youths.
Mooto Farms Limited is a women-owned and led agribusiness established in 2019 that operates on a 21-acre piece of land in the Mongu district of Zambia’s Western Province. They have a plantation of assorted fruit trees and a nursery of 20,000 seedlings, which they sell to clients across the country and into neighbouring Namibia.
Their clients range from NGOs and banks supporting climate action initiatives to individual farmers and other nursery owners who order from them for resale. They also have an outgrower scheme of 100 women and youths that they support with seedlings, training them on good agronomic practices and later buying their produce at reasonable prices. Their next plan is to start processing their produce into other value-added products once they secure enough funding to buy processing equipment.
“This programme has been educational for me. The eLearning has broadened my knowledge in the agribusiness space, as the courses are so practical to the real world. The business plan and concept courses have enhanced my professional ability to assess projects for viability and profitability. The Rural Invest software is also a very helpful tool in investment assessment. The various investment appraisal methods shared have revived my professional skills in finance advisory and business consultancy. My mentor has been very helpful in ensuring that I remain on track with my course progression, as we are constantly in touch. I am grateful for this opportunity and strongly recommend it to others.”
