Kibuka, a remote village nestled along the steep slopes of a misty Tanzanian mountainside, is home to a growing transformation led by women farmers. Despite the village’s isolation and the challenging access roads, Kibuka is witnessing a quiet revolution in agricultural and economic empowerment, driven by the efforts of local women and their cooperative.
At the heart of this transformation is Molissia Mbiki, a 38-year-old farmer and leader of the Kibuka Women’s Cooperative. For years, she and her fellow members struggled with low crop yields, destructive pests, and the high costs of transporting goods to distant markets. These challenges had made it difficult to sell their produce or repay loans. However, a turning point came when the cooperative joined MVIWATA—a national network of smallholder farmers in Tanzania.
Through the Baridi Sokoni Food Systems Transformation Project, supported by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) and supervised by the African Development Bank, the women of Kibuka received in-depth training in sustainable farming practices. This included techniques in crop spacing, natural pest control, composting, and soil enrichment using organic matter. As a result, productivity began to improve, reducing dependence on costly inputs and enhancing resilience.
Beyond farming, MVIWATA’s support extended to rehabilitating local markets in Mvomero District, where Kibuka is located. These market improvements allowed better access for traders and created new opportunities for remote farming communities to connect with buyers, effectively strengthening the horticultural value chain. The initiative emphasized gender inclusion, youth engagement, and local leadership as key elements of rural development.
In 2024, the “Baridi Sokoni” project received a $2.85 million additional grant, expanding its scope and impact. Originally selected through a competitive process during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the project has since become a model for producer organization-led transformation. MVIWATA’s holistic approach combines training with access to finance, agricultural inputs, and collective marketing. It fosters cooperative governance, peer learning, and community-led innovation.
