How Regenerative Agriculture Helped Vestine Transform Her Farm and Her Family’s Future
In the southern province of Rwanda, Vestine, a 38-year-old smallholder farmer, is steadily building a stronger future for her family through determination, new knowledge, and the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.
Vestine and her husband farm 30 ares of bananas, maize, and beans while raising three children. Like many farmers in her community, she faced several problems that, for a while, made it a challenge for her family to move beyond surviving and into thriving. Poor soil fertility, inconsistent rainfall, high labor costs, and a lack of savings often left her vulnerable. Vestine relied on informal, high-interest lenders, feared working with banks, and struggled to build financial security.
Everything began to shift when she attended the Regenerative Agriculture (RegenAg) training with Opportunity International that was offered through her Farmer Support Agent (FSA).
Stronger Soils, Better Yields, and a More Resilient Farm
RegenAg training showed Vestine practical, affordable techniques to rebuild her soil, retain moisture, diversify crops, and reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers. These practices produced measurable improvements almost immediately:
· Banana yields increased by 40%.
· Maize yields increased by 30%.
· Bean production nearly doubled.
With healthier soil and more consistent harvests, she reduced farming costs and stabilized her income. She also grew more confident managing her land and planning ahead, even with unpredictable weather patterns.
Growing a Business and a Safety Net
Alongside the agricultural training, Vestine strengthened her financial skills through her Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA). She increased her weekly savings from 500 to 2,000 Rwandan francs (RWF) (roughly from $0.34 to $1.37), giving herself a cushion for emergencies and opportunities.
With her improved savings and farm profits, Vestine launched a small retail shop in her village, which brought a new and reliable income stream that now helps her pay school fees and household expenses. VSLA loans also allowed her to start raising cows, pigs, and poultry, improving her family’s nutrition and diversifying their income.
For the first time, she felt ready to work with a formal financial institution. She secured three consecutive bank loans for 1,000,000 RWF ($684), 1,500,000 RWF ($1,026), and 2,000,000 RWF ($1,369), and used them to start a small transport business. She now owns three motorcycles, which she rents out monthly, helping her repay her loans safely.
Her family now has health insurance, a stable income, and more opportunities.
A Better Life at Home and Bigger Dreams for the Future
With her increased earnings, Vestine rebuilt her house and pays for two of her children to attend a strong boarding school. Her children recognize the changes and tell her, “We will be like you, Mom, when we grow up.” Her youngest dreams of attending the same school and becoming a doctor.
While she continues to navigate challenges like transportation difficulties during rainy months and occasional pest outbreaks, Vestine now has the tools, networks, and confidence to keep improving her farm and her businesses.
Her next goals include:
· expanding her farm from 30 to 50 ares,
· growing her poultry and pig operations,
· opening a goods depot to supply local shops.
But Vestine’s impact doesn’t stop with her own household.
As secretary of her VSLA, Vestine encourages other women to save consistently, invest wisely, and adopt regenerative agriculture practices. She is passionate about helping fellow farmers improve their yields and incomes, just as she has done.
She says, “When a community is learning, they start to grow.”
Today, Vestine stands as an example of what becomes possible when women farmers gain access to the right training, financial tools, and support. RegenAg gave her practical ways to strengthen her farm; financial access helped her build stability; and her determination turned those opportunities into long-term progress.
Above all, Vestine's story reflects the power of women leading change in their homes, their farms, and their communities – one confident step at a time.