How Moses and Janet harvest success
“As you can see I can't walk but that doesn't stop me from rolling up my sleeves. Besides being a cobbler here at the local market I'm also a farmer", says Moses. Moses and his wife Janet make use of the Agrics facilities from the very beginning. Moses: “Despite my handicap I dare to claim that my wife Janet and I are among the most succesful Agrics farmers in the region." A cobbler who can't walk and works as a farmer as well. We need to know more on this.
Moses and Janet are, like always, on their fixed pitch on the market of Butere (Kenya). Moses sits on the ground where he repairs shoes. His wife Janet is standing a few metres beyond with her little booth, selling vegetables and eggs. The couple make a living in several smart ways.
Together they own a house on a piece of land. The garden is rather small. There is just enough room for a chicken coop but not to cultivate vegetables. But they found a solution for this. They rent a piece of land in the neighbourhood now. Due to his handicap Moses isn't able to work on the land himself, therefore they asked someone to assist Janet during sowing and harvesting. Via Agrics they bought a huge amount of seeds and fertilizer. Within nine months they have to pay back their debts. Thanks to the certified seeds the crop is so much better so repayment won't be a problem. And even the costs for the rent of the land and to hire an assistant aren't causing any troubles.
In the chickencoop along side the house a batch of chickens are walking around since awhile. Janet sells the eggs in her booth on the market. Shortly, when the couple paid back their debts at Agrics, they would like to buy more chickens so they are able to increase the income of eggs as well. Slowly but surely they can expand their small business and improve their standard of living.
“Unless your brains aren't functioning you can't do a thing", says Moses, "but in all other cases you can reach a lot, if only you really want to and work hard for it." He likes to empower other people with a disability too, to think in solutions and possibilities instead of problems. This way he already convinced three other farmers to buy chickens on credit as well. "Our little farm provides a better income but also a purpose in life. Who could have ever thought? That you are able to become a successful farmer when you can't walk!", he laughs out loud. “We do really well with the two of us", he smiles proudly.
