Tripling crop cycles in Tanzania: Grace’s story

In the quiet village of Mlali in Tanzania’s Morogoro region, Grace Migomba’s green fields stand in contrast to the dusty roads and dry farmland around her. Her success is visible from a distance: rows of thriving crops, even at the height of the dry season, made possible by a simple irrigation tool.

A mother of three, Grace has always farmed to feed her family. But until recently, that meant hard work with little return. Like many smallholder farmers across Tanzania, she depended on rainfall and carried water by hand. Her small 350-square-meter plot, irrigated with a bucket, only supported one crop—matembele, or sweet potato leaves. It was all she could manage with the time and water available.

At the end of a year of planting, tending, harvesting, and selling, Grace’s earnings totaled around TSh 50,000—less than $20. It wasn’t enough to meet her family’s needs, let alone invest in growth.

A demonstration, and a decision

In 2019, Grace attended a community demonstration for the KickStart MoneyMaker Max pump. She was curious—irrigation wasn’t new to her, but the ease and efficiency of this pump stood out. She learned that it was available through a payment plan and decided to take the chance. Grace brought the pump home and began paying it off in installments.

Within her first growing season using the pump, Grace expanded her cultivated area from less than half a plot to two full acres. She didn’t stop with matembele, either. With more land and regular access to water, she diversified into six high-value crops: green maize, African nightshade, okra, tomatoes, and sweet pepper.

That season alone, she earned a net income of TSh 800,000—more than $300. It was the most she’d ever made from farming.

From one season to three

The biggest change wasn’t just in the size of her harvest, but in the number of harvests she could now achieve. With reliable irrigation, Grace could grow crops year-round instead of once per year. Her farm now supports three full crop cycles annually.

Her total net income from farming has grown to more than TSh 4.7 million per year—about $1,800. Most of her produce is sold at town markets in Morogoro, where she earns higher prices than she could get locally. That increase in income—more than 90 times what she once earned—has changed what’s possible for her family.

Investing in the future

Since bringing home her pump, Grace and her husband have made steady improvements to their home and livelihood. They’ve built a six-bedroom house with a television and refrigerator. The household now includes five goats and a growing local chicken project. All three children are in school, and Grace is able to buy uniforms and meet all the requirements each term. She also enrolled the family in a health insurance program.

Her farming income now covers not just food and school fees, but long-term goals. She saves regularly through her Village Community Bank (VICOBA), where she also serves as the group’s secretary. She’s currently looking ahead to expanding her livestock operations, particularly goats, as a way to further diversify income.

Sharing success with others

Grace’s story is about more than personal transformation—it’s also about community. From the beginning, she’s shared her success. She rents her pump to neighbors at no charge, allowing others to irrigate their plots and grow beyond the limits of rain-fed farming.

So far, eight households in her village have borrowed the pump to start or expand their farms. Some are now farming during the dry season for the first time.

Steady growth, lasting change

Since 2019, Grace has steadily grown her farm from a small rain-fed plot to a diversified and productive enterprise. The shift began with one decision—to purchase an irrigation pump on installment—and has since unfolded across every aspect of her life.

With irrigation, she expanded her land, increased her crop variety, and began farming year-round. This allowed her to reach new markets, earn significantly more income, and reinvest in her family’s future. Alongside farming, she’s also taken on a leadership role in her savings group and supports her neighbors by lending out her pump.

The changes have been incremental but far-reaching. What began as a way to improve her harvests has become the foundation for greater stability, opportunity, and choice—for Grace, her children, and her community.

“My life would not have been like this…”

Asked about her journey, Grace is clear: “My life would not have been like this if it hadn’t been for irrigation farming with the MoneyMaker pump.”

Her experience reflects a broader trend among smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa, who are increasing their incomes, productivity, and economic stability with access to affordable irrigation.

In Grace’s case, the green fields of her farm, still thriving even at the height of the dry season, speak for themselves.