Agriculture

MUHAWE Prisca - age 22 - Rutshuru District, DRC

Prisca’s vision is to develop the agriculture industry in Congo.

"I want to improve many people in agriculture... In my community, many people don’t have more knowledge about agriculture. They are suffering from it. When they cultivate, many people don’t have markets to take their goods and to sell. In our country, when the plants are mature they always take them and they sell it in Uganda or Rwanda.”

Recognizing this need, Prisca wants to strengthen local markets for buying and selling crops locally. Currently, the key factor inhibiting this is the lack of storage facilities for crops.

"Once they cultivate, many people don’t have stores so they sell all their goods and after a few months they don’t have anything to eat. So, in my community, I want to build the storage so people can come to me and put the food in my store. This way people can come to me to pick up their food to eat, rather than having sold all of it.”

This strikingly simple solution would alleviate poverty and hunger throughout the community, while also generating a small profit through the renting out of small storage spaces. Working together with other Think Africa students, Prisca is developing a strong business plan for the crop storage facilities.

"We need to build the space where to put the Irish potatoes, maize, sorghum, and peas. Then people won’t go hungry.”

Prisca is seeking a $200 business loan to begin construction of agricultural storage facilities.

Jacob Mutazimiza - age 24 - Binza, DRC

Jacob aims to empower farmers in modern agriculture.

He seeks to create an organization or company to advocate for local farmers. Prior to enrolling in the Think Africa program, Jacob started an agriculture project with youth in his home village. Together they grow vegetables, raise poultry and sell eggs on a ¼ hectare plot of land located 38 km from Bunagana, in a remote area called Binza.

 Currently, Jacob serves as the chief of Health and Sanitation at Think Africa. He is also the chief of the vegetable growing program. Before entering Think Africa, Jacob completed four years of nursing coursework at ITM in Rutshuru. He currently treats illnesses among students at Think Africa, as well as administers immunizations (primarily measles) in high risk areas due to the threat of kidnapping.

Jacob hopes to pursue a BSc in Agribusiness Innovation and Management at Bugema University in Uganda.

MUKESHIMANA Joyeuse - age 20 - Bunagana, DRC

Joyeuse’s vision is to expand the agribusiness sector within the DRC.

“I want to build the market in our community. I want to build a store to keep the things which we sell and sell it in our country. Many people are selling the Irish potatoes outside of the country and I want to make stores to sell them in our communities.”

For Joyeuse, the situation is simple. Farmers in the DRC grow their crops and then, due to a lack of storage facilities, immediately bring their crops to market in Uganda or Rwanda. This leaves families poor and hungry only a few months later.

 "The solution is to be building stores to keep the Irish potatoes and the other types of food such as beans, maize, sorgum.”

 Joyeuse explains how, currently, farmers go to buy seeds in Uganda because local communities in the DRC fail to keep the produce. Therefore, the creation of storage facilities will also enable seeds to be bought locally at lower costs to farmers.  

 "I want to build that store so that everyone who needs the seeds can come to buy in our country because if they go to buy in another country they pay the tax at the border.”

Joyeuse is seeking a $200 business loan to begin construction of agricultural storage facilities.