Growing More Than Vegetables
How One Woman Cultivated Livelihoods and Inspired an Entire Community
Just a year ago, the land at the heart of Ankadivory Alakamisy was nothing more than an abandoned field where children played football. No one could have imagined that it would one day become a thriving demonstration site capable of inspiring an entire community.
Among the people behind this transformation is RAKOTOMALALA Feno Herizo, a mother of three and former trader.
“Before, I had never farmed. This is where I learned everything: how to make compost, prepare the soil, and grow leafy vegetables,” she recalls.
When the FARARANO Project arrived in her community, Feno Herizo seized an opportunity she had never considered before. Through the project’s Climate-Smart Agriculture training, she discovered that with the right techniques, even degraded land could become productive.
The numerous training sessions equipped her with skills in organic farming, composting, crop production techniques, and marketing. The project also provided seeds and agricultural tools, enabling her to immediately put her new knowledge into practice.
Today, she mainly grows leafy vegetables. Every month, her harvest reaches up to twenty-four crates, which she sells directly at the market.
“I earn between 250,000 and 300,000 Ariary per month from selling leafy vegetables,” she says proudly.
But for this mother of three, the greatest harvest has been the transformation of her family’s life.
“Before, we faced many difficulties, even paying for our children’s education. Since we started farming, our lives have become much more stable.”
The impact is also visible in the family’s diet. Fresh vegetables are now available right in their own yard.
“We no longer worry about where to find money to buy vegetables. We simply harvest what we have grown ourselves.”
Feno Herizo’s story goes beyond her personal success.
Together with other members of her cooperative society, she helped transform this once-abandoned land into a demonstration plot that has become a true source of inspiration to the entire community.
“We wanted to show that nothing is impossible and that if you are motivated, you can always succeed.”
The results have been so impressive that many people who did not initially join the project now regret their decision and are asking to become members of the cooperative.
Today, the cooperative has 31 active members, working together in agricultural production, taking turns to irrigate the fields, and collectively fulfilling market orders. Through the Farmer Marketing School (FMS) approach, they have already identified buyers in Antananarivo and are preparing to further expand their commercial activities.
For Feno Herizo, agriculture has become much more than an income-generating activity.
“Agriculture can truly sustain a family. It provides a good living.”
Her dream is now to become a wholesale supplier in major markets and to see more families return to farming.
“I want people to see our example and understand that it is possible to make a dignified living from the land.”
Looking at this plot of land today, it is hard to imagine that it was once a football field. It has become the symbol of a community that has regained confidence in its own potential and a proof that, with the right knowledge and determination, a simple piece of land can transform lives.
As Feno Herizo puts it:
“ADRA did not just help us; it taught us how to live.”