Vote for the Photo of the Month: January 2025
Our monthly photo series highlights the beauty and emotion in the lives of our clients around the world. This month’s photos illustrate the important role that women farmers and entrepreneurs play in lifting themselves, their families, and their communities out of poverty.
As we enter 2025, we’re reminded that transformative change often begins with a single step—enrolling in training in Tanzania, planting seeds in a Rajasthani backyard, or threading a needle in a Nairobi clothing shop. Through our work at TechnoServe, we witness daily how women’s economic empowerment creates ripples that touch entire communities. This month’s photo series captures three powerful stories that illuminate how skills, connections, and confidence can give everyone the opportunity to build a better life.
Photo 1
In this photo taken at the Mabubu Farmer Business Group in Tanzania, women cacao farmers spread beans to dry with wooden rakes. They are part of one of the country’s highest-performing cocoa farmer cooperatives. TechnoServe’s program uniquely emphasized the participation of both husbands and wives in training sessions. Through this program, these farmers harvested more than just cocoa; they cultivated economic empowerment and stronger household partnerships.
Households led by men saw cocoa income surge by over 60%, while women-headed households reported a significant 48% increase. But perhaps the most promising growth isn’t measured in percentages—it’s in the strengthened fabric of family decision-making. Married couples who participated in the program together reported more collaborative discussions about managing their cocoa income, with the highest levels of joint decision-making found in households where both spouses attended the training sessions.
Photo 2
A green revolution is sprouting from the most unexpected places—the backyards of guar farming families in Rajasthan, India. On a crisp October morning in Bamanwali village, TechnoServe associate Sunayana Ingle led an engaged group of women through the fundamentals of kitchen gardening, a skill that’s proving transformative for local households.This innovative program goes beyond traditional agricultural support, recognizing that the path to prosperity often begins at home. By working directly with the wives of guar farmers, TechnoServe is planting the seeds of change through practical training in edible gardening. The impact is twofold: these kitchen gardens are improving family nutrition and helping to ease the financial pressures that many farming communities face. As these women master the art of growing their own vegetables, they also cultivate resilience in the face of agricultural uncertainty.
Photo 3
In the bustling streets of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, Rose Amachi’s story threads together entrepreneurial success with community transformation. Through TechnoServe’s Young Women in Enterprise program, Rose turned her passion for fashion into her own business, Lucky Outfitters. From humble beginnings in a semi-permanent structure, she invested wisely in a sewing machine and gradually expanded her inventory to include accessories.But Rose’s journey extends far beyond personal success. As her business flourished and relocated to a more prominent location, Rose made an inspiring choice: to become a mentor herself. She provided tailoring training to young women from her former neighborhood, creating a ripple effect of opportunity. In doing so, Rose exemplifies the true spirit of entrepreneurship—not just building a business but building up others along the way.
These stories from Tanzania, India, and Kenya represent more than individual successes— they showcase the multiplier effect of investing in women’s economic potential and gender inclusivity. As we begin 2025, it’s a powerful reminder that a little support from TechnoServe goes a long way in helping people create better futures for themselves and their entire communities.
