Your Impact

Bringing farmers together in cooperatives has enabled producers to aggregate their produce, increase negotiation power and amplify their voices. These strong farmer cooperatives have become attractive collaborators to private and public stakeholders to streamline the relevant market systems.

Mobilized by the project, women farmers have so far established partnerships with exporters such as Maisha Trade International and Al Adib International and are now exporting fresh vegetables to countries in the Middle East and Europe, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Ireland, the UK, Germany and Malaysia. In fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the women exported a combined 8.1 metric tons of vegetables, generating $17,645. Export volumes are projected to reach 20 metric tons by fiscal year 2026.

This progress began with building social capital.

Co-design workshops at the beginning of the project uncovered deep-rooted challenges: mobility constraints, gender barriers, limited access to finance, unsustainable farming practices weighed down by high irrigation costs and unfair pricing.

Heifer supported women farmers to address these barriers together. Participating producers formed 225 self-help groups, federated into two cooperatives. Collective savings allowed access to small loans for farm inputs and household needs. This safety net has strengthened trust, solidarity and confidence.

As cooperative member Rehana Khatun shared: “Being part of this organization has helped me move forward. Now I feel more confident… I hope this cooperative grows bigger and creates employment for more women like me.”

Cooperatives now aggregate produce, negotiate better prices, and partner with suppliers and exporters. Larger volumes and consistent quality have given women bargaining power. Training in climate-smart farming and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) — including new crop varieties, composting, mulching, balanced fertilization and solar irrigation — has reduced costs, improved soil health and built resilience.

Reksona Khatun harvests eggplant on her farm in Doherpara village, Bangladesh. Photo by Heifer International/Russell Powell.

When exporters cited high transport costs as a barrier to offering good prices, farmers — demonstrating the power of their collective voice — raised their concerns and declined the proposed arrangement. To bridge the gap, Heifer facilitated a collaboration with the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC). By leveraging BADC’s cooling vans, logistics costs were reduced, enabling exporters to remain profitable while farmers secured better prices. This solution improved export efficiency and strengthened government trust in Heifer and the farmers’ cooperative, which is now exploring ways to extend agricultural services to the other 75 Heifer-supported cooperatives and beyond.

Meanwhile, discussions with the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) aim to develop aggregation centers at cooperative sites to remove systemic supply chain bottlenecks.

Reksona Khatun, center, leads a discussion with women in Doherpara village, Bangladesh. Photo by Heifer International/Russell Powell.

The impact extends well beyond agriculture. Women are stepping into public life as decision-makers and leaders. In communities where women were once sidelined, they are now leading cooperatives, negotiating prices and contributing to local planning. Cooperative members sit on advisory boards, collaborate with government officials and represent their communities in broader forums. Rural women are becoming visible, vocal and vital to local development. This is the power of the collective.

To further strengthen value chains, cooperatives are actively working with multiple government departments: with BADC for cold storage and transportation, DAM for market access, the Department of Agricultural Extension for production and market linkages, and the Soil Resource Development Institute for soil testing services.

The region’s vegetable export success is more than just a market achievement — it’s a testament to what rural women can accomplish with the right tools, partnerships and support. These farmers are not just growing crops; they are cultivating leadership, confidence and community transformation.

Like many families in her village in the municipality of Diacounda, Sounkary depends on small-scale farming. What they grow often determines what they eat. Rainfall is unreliable, and when harvests fall short or income tightens, meals narrow to what is available, often basic staples like rice, millet and maize that fill the stomach but do not always provide enough nourishment.

Sounkary Seydi, left, measures a child’s arm to check for early signs of malnutrition. Photo by Heifer International/Younoussa Mballo.

In this setting, a child’s health can decline rapidly. A full stomach does not always mean proper nutrition, and water may be close but not always safe to drink. Illness, especially diarrhea, drains what little the body holds, and a child can lose weight in days.

For years, Sounkary said, families lived with that instability. Hygiene was inconsistent, and malnutrition was common, especially among children and breastfeeding women. Many mothers lacked clear guidance on feeding practices or early warning signs when a child’s health was declining. Even when nutritious foods were available, they were not always given to children first. In those days, nearly 1 in 20 children in the area were affected by acute malnutrition.

“Before the start of the KAYRA project, our village was facing serious hygiene and malnutrition challenges,” Sounkary said, referencing a Heifer Senegal initiative focused on improving child nutrition through community-led support. “We had no structured organization to address these issues. Our neighborhoods and households were poorly maintained, and children’s health was deteriorating. The arrival of the KAYRA project changed everything.”

Through KAYRA, Sounkary became one of the village’s Model Mothers — a role defined by trust and responsibility. Model Mothers are not outsiders or specialists. They are women from the community, known for how they care for their own children and their willingness to help others.

The concept took shape as women gathered and spoke openly about children losing weight, recurring illness and what to do next.

“As a Model Mother, I am committed to sustaining these activities even after the project ends. We have learned to be autonomous and responsible.”

— Sounkary Seydi, Model Mother

Through the project, Sounkary and others received training in nutrition, hygiene, growth monitoring and food preparation. They practiced together, and then began applying what they learned in their own homes and passing it on to others across the village.

The KAYRA project closed in 2025, but today the work continues. Sounkary and others still meet with mothers regularly, sharing what they have learned and walking through feeding practices, handwashing and safe food preparation. They teach families to spot early signs of malnutrition and know when to act.

At group gatherings, Model Mothers measure children’s arms with a color-coded mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) band to monitor children’s growth. Screening now reaches more children than before, rising from about 68 percent to more than 83 percent. When concerns appear, mothers respond quickly. Some children receive care at home with nutrient-rich porridge, while others are referred to local health facilities before their situation worsens.

During a home visit in Diacounda, Sounkary, left, checks a child’s growth while speaking with the family. Photo by Heifer International/Younoussa Mballo.

“Today, I am proud to say that behaviors have changed,” Sounkary said. “Women are more aware of health and nutrition issues and are actively involved in prevention.”

The impact extends beyond individual households. Under the leadership of Sounkary and nearly 30 other Model Mothers, the community built a granary stocked with locally grown crops. Families contribute what they can — millet, rice, sorghum — creating a collective reserve. The flour prepared from these grains becomes porridge, a steady source of nutrition for children. Across communities, similar efforts have brought together more than 50,000 kilograms of crops.

Many of these same women also take part in village savings-and-loan groups, setting aside small amounts of money each week and accessing loans when needed. This allows families to pay for food, medical care and other essentials that support children’s health.

At home, gardens have taken root and meals include more variety. Across the village, women organize weekly clean-up days, restoring shared spaces and creating a cleaner, healthier environment for their children.

A fortified porridge made from local grains provides key nutrients for young children in Aloutte Mandingue, Senegal. Photo by Heifer International/Sylvain Cherkaoui.

Inside the home, small changes carry weight, from making water safe to drink to preparing meals with greater care and using iodized salt, which helps children get vital nutrients.

The difference is visible in families too. In some households, men have begun to take a more active role in bringing children to health visits or stepping in when women have other obligations.

Over time, malnutrition rates in the area have fallen from 4.5 percent to 2 percent.

“I cannot conclude without sincerely thanking the KAYRA project for the changes it has brought to our households,” Sounkary said. “Thanks to KAYRA, our children are growing up healthier, and our communities are living in a cleaner and safer environment.”

“As a Model Mother, I am committed to sustaining these activities even after the project ends. We have learned to be autonomous and responsible,” she said.

“In the poultry business, the cold chain is the lifeline,” Christabel said. “Without consistent power, chicken spoils and profits disappear.” The constant risk of spoilage turned every investment into a gamble, with her children’s future at stake.

Christabel changed her family’s trajectory when she joined Heifer Nigeria’s In-Power Her initiative, a poultry value chain project under the Naija Unlock signature program. The initiative helps women grow income, expand their businesses and strengthen household well-being.

Through an innovative hub-and-spoke model, it places solar-powered technology directly into the hands of women. In this model, Christabel operates as a hub, using a high-capacity, solar-powered freezer to store large volumes of poultry safely. She supplies youth and other women who distribute fresh products throughout the community using insulated carts.

They collect products directly from her shop, where she offers a reliable supply at a reduced price. Because her poultry stays fresh longer, they can also return unsold products, reducing their risk of financial loss.

Christabel lifts a frozen chicken from her solar-powered freezer. Photo courtesy of Heifer Nigeria.

At the center of her transformation is a solar-powered freezer, financed through Heifer’s In-Power Her project. It operates entirely off-grid, with batteries that store energy and keep the freezer running consistently.

No longer dependent on expensive generator fuel or the unpredictability of the national power supply, Christabel can now preserve her poultry products with confidence and consistency. With access to this model, she can buy products at a favorable rate, stock more at once and reduce costs related to transportation, fuel and spoilage.

Reliable solar energy has allowed Christabel to grow her business steadily. Customers increasingly seek her products, confident in their freshness and quality. Many even ask whether she relies on the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) — Nigeria’s national electricity provider — to keep her poultry cold.

“When I bring out chicken to sell,” she says, “customers often ask, ‘Madam, are you using NEPA light to cool this chicken?’”

For Christabel, the impact of the In-Power Her initiative is measured in more than financial returns; it is reflected in the stability and dignity it has restored to her household. With dependable energy, she can plan her days with confidence and manage her business without constant anxiety. She is no longer simply participating in the market; she is leading it as well.

“I feel privileged to have this freezer,” Christabel says. “It is not something I could have afforded on my own. I feel empowered.”

Insulated carts carry poultry from Christabel’s shop to customers across the community. Photo courtesy of Heifer Nigeria.

That empowerment extends beyond her business. With a steady income, Christabel can now ensure that her family has nutritious meals and her children’s school fees are paid on time. Her success has also strengthened household dynamics, earning her increased respect and support from her husband, who proudly tells her, “My wife, you are doing well.”

As she continues to grow her business, Christabel is not only securing her family’s future but inspiring her community.

From the solar-powered freezer at the center of her business to her fresh products reaching local households, Christabel has become a visible example of success for other women in Edo State. With her mastery of the hub-and-spoke approach, she is demonstrating how sustainable technology can unlock pathways from vulnerability to prosperity — for her neighbors and the next generation.