Supporting Female Farmers in Upper Egypt to Improve Crop Yields and Income Eman Eed is a young female farmer in Minya, Upper Egypt. She unexpectedly became the primary breadwinner for her family when her husband left Minya in search of work, leaving her the sole provider for her and her young family. The small income she earned at the time meant that she often struggled to fulfil her children’s basic needs; she could not even afford to send her children to school. Eman's fortunes changed dramatically after she started attending the Farmer Field School in her village, a vocational training programme established by Alfanar investee Life Vision for Development. The Farmer Field School aims to build the resilience and self-reliance of low-income female farmers in Upper Egypt by training them on agricultural best practices. The knowledge gained through Live Vision's comprehensive ten-month curriculum enables participants to improve crop yields, implement best practices, and ultimately increase their take home incomes. Eman has only been taking part in the Farmer-Field schools for a few months, but the impact of this gathering of women under a shaded straw roof in the middle of a lush green field, three times each week, has been immense. Beyond the sense of community she gains from going to the Farmer Field School, Eman has been able to successfully monetize what she has learned by setting up her own enterprise selling produce and livestock. She sells an array of products: from the pigeons and ducks she raises for up to 300 EGP each, to cakes and basboosa she bakes. She also sells compost as fertilizer from the remaining scraps, which can earn Eman roughly 120 EGP per kilogram. The Farmer Field School emphasizes the importance of utilising every possible aspect of the products of nature, whether it be animals or crops, creating a zero waste environment. Compost is one of the major ways they promote the reuse of materials. The income she now earns for herself and her family has given Eman a sense of control over her own life. Through her enterprise she now covers her living costs, and Eman’s children are currently enrolled in school thanks to the application of what she has learned during her time with Life Vision's Farmer Field Schools. The income she now earns for herself and her family has given Eman a sense of autonomy and control over her own life. Through her enterprise she now covers her living costs, and her children are enrolled in school again thanks to the application of what she has learned throughout her time with Life Vision's Farmer Field School. To learn more about Alfanar's investment in Life Vision for Development, click here Manage Cookie Preferences