What’s the Story Behind the Photo?
The magic of maize--and one woman's vision
Ten years ago, Severina Paul Mwakateba had a vision: a food company that would improve nutrition for the people who needed it most, while empowering other women in the process.
Today, this is her reality:
Credit: Visa Foundation
Severina’s company, AA Nafaka Store Supply in Tanzania, produces a range of essential products, from fortified flours to sunflower oil to rice. The company established supply relationships with more than 200 smallholder farmers – nearly two-thirds of them women – providing these farmers with reliable incomes to support their families.
Severina recently worked with TechnoServe on a business plan that is positioning her company to improve its profits by nearly $1 million in the next three years, while increasing the number of smallholder farmers it buys from nearly ten-fold.
Food processing companies like Severina’s are critical to ensuring Africa’s food security. Fortified foods like the flour produced by AA Nafaka is one of the most effective ways to improve global nutrition. And supply chains with local farmers help insulate food processors from external supply shocks, like the current shortages due to the crisis in Ukraine.
