Mama is in Charge of All the Money
Meet Mary. She is the treasurer of the Matisma Growers group, a cooperative potato farm. She and her small community outside Nakuru, Kenya run an innovative agriculture business together — introducing the Irish potato as a Kenya food source.
At first glance, it may not seem that significant Mary is the treasurer, but in Africa even though women produce 80% of the food (they are the farmers), women only make up 30% of the formal economics (they don’t get paid).
About 30 people met with us on this lush, pristine potato farm. The chief of the area greeted us, the Chairman of the cooperative presented their goals, projections and successes and a representative from USAID explained how their funding supports this community effort.
Did you know approximately 925 million people are hungry around the world today? And that growth in agriculture is twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth in other sectors. Investing in agriculture can be transformative, especially for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, where the sector employs nearly two-thirds of the population and accounts for an average one-third of GDP. (Visit ONE’s agriculture page to learn more.)
ONE supports programs through USAID, and supports women like Mary, who are changing the role of women, the economics, and the food stability in her home, her community, and her nation.
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