No longer living on the sidelines
Despite the unforgiving land in Tanzania, Beatrice has learned how to make a difference for her family.
Beatrice could hear the wind sweeping across the parched fields outside her home, a harsh reminder of another year of poor harvests.
Her children’s bellies rumbled, and her husband George worked tirelessly in the heat, his hands calloused from the land that never seemed to give back what they needed. Her heart ached as much as her stomach—she could no longer watch idly as hunger gnawed at her family. But what could she do?
Beatrice Zakayo lives with her husband George and their four children in rural Tanzania. Every year they pray that they would grow enough to sustain them through the dry season—but year after year they come up short.
In Tanzania, the barren earth can be unforgiving. Without the proper tools, equipment, or knowledge, growing crops—the most common income source in the area—can be nearly impossible. Beatrice watched every day as her husband toiled on the farm, and worked to sell their measly crops. Recently, he had gotten involved with their church’s Village Savings and Loans (VSL) group and was now one of the facilitators. This group allows men and women to work together, learn together, and save up money. Every week when her husband came home he told her stories of how successful it had been—mothers could now send their children to school, families saved up enough to buy livestock, and there was a built-in community of trust and growth that allowed everyone to thrive. Is that something I could do, too? Beatrice thought. So, she decided to try.
Through this VSL group called “Songambele”—which means “let’s go forward”—Beatrice and her husband not only saved money, but participated in other training programs as well. They learned about a new way of farming called “conservation agriculture” (CA) which utilizes various techniques to increase soil fertility and help crops to flourish. Although they were hesitant at first, they soon saw the incredible impact the CA farm had on their harvests. Beatrice and George harvested enough to last them until next year’s harvest, stored safely in a new storage solution, with enough left to sell!
When a tragic food shortage came across their village, Beatrice was prepared. They sold 200 kilograms of crops to others in their village, which paid her enough to buy a heifer cow—something Beatrice never would have dreamed of owning. “Currently, peace and happiness are increased in my family,” Beatrice shared with a beaming smile. She was beginning to reclaim a sense of agency that had long been stripped away by poverty.
This VSL group allowed Beatrice and her husband to save money, build a better farm, and buy livestock—but this wasn’t all. Through other training programs, they reconstructed their perspectives on family dynamics and grew closer together. Where Beatrice once felt helpless on the sidelines, she is now included and integral to the workings of the family. “Before this program, many families were relying only on the husband and not involving the wife and children,” Beatrice explained. “[But with this training,] joint decisions are made, and we now have collective access and ownership of household resources—domestically and economically.”
It can be difficult for many people to give up old ways for something new. Changing the way that you, your parents, your grandparents, and great-grandparents have always farmed is a huge leap for many. Or, reimagining what it looks like for women to help provide for their households may be a new challenge. But through local churches, communities are being trained to lift themselves out of poverty and live transformed lives.
Beatrice, just like the name of her VSL group, is moving forward. Because of generous donors like you, she now has peace, joy, and a full stomach—a life she had only dreamt of before!
Your generous support can help more women like Beatrice break free from the cycle of poverty and transform their futures. By partnering with Tearfund, you’re partnering with local churches, investing in lasting change, and ensuring that families in Tanzania and beyond can move up and forward.