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Vegetables are a Hidden Treasure - Tuhivilage's story

Tuhivalage taking vegetables at her home garden. Photo: Edward Charles | CARE Tanzania

Tuhivalage taking vegetables at her home garden. Photo: Edward Charles | CARE Tanzania

Tuhuvilage Myenda, a dedicated vegetable farmer and proud member of the Tumaini Group in Kidabaga, Kilolo District, is a shining example of the impact of the “Shamba Darasa Imara na Ustadi” project. Supported by the Fonds d’Innovation pour le Développement (Fund for Innovation in Development) and implemented across Iringa DC, Wanging’ombe, and Kilolo, this project has catalyzed transformation in her community.

Three months ago, during the Farmers Field Business FFBS training in Iringa municipality, Tuhuvilage received a handful of mustard green seeds, known locally as “Chinese Vegetables,” from SADIFU project coordinator Lilian Mkusa. The mission was simple yet profound: start a small home garden. In Kidabaga, where vegetables are not typically part of the diet, this task aimed to enhance the nutritional status of local households.

Tuhivalage's home garden. Photo: Edward Charles | CARE Tanzania

Vegetables are a hidden business that people don’t know about.

Tuhuvilage Myenda

Shamba Darasa Imara na Ustadi project participant

With determination and care, Tuhuvilage planted and nurtured her garden. Her efforts quickly bore fruit, turning a small plot into a daily source of fresh vegetables for her family. Tuhuvilage’s success went unnoticed. However, her flourishing garden inspired many households in Kidabaga to start their own home gardens, sparking a wave of nutritional awareness and self-sufficiency throughout the village.

In addition to feeding her family, Tuhuvilage’s home garden provided extra produce for sale, especially when her central garden didn’t yield enough. This ensured a steady supply for her customers. Her belief in this potential is evident in her achievements.

Through her vegetable farming, she has managed to pay for her son’s education at Dabaga Secondary School. She reduced the school fees from 500,000 Tsh (192 USD) to just 140,000 Tsh (54 USD) by supplying vegetables to the school in exchange for her son’s education.

The SADIFU project aims to enhance participants’ knowledge and adoption of climate resilient agriculture practices, improve access to and control over resources, boost income through collective selling, enhance food and nutrition security, promote gender equality, and increase resilience to climate shocks.