"The Knowledge I Gained Changed My Life": An Open Letter to Fellow Smallholder Farmers from Jean
"The knowledge I gained through our savings group changed my life. Financial literacy gave me the confidence to invest, while regenerative agriculture showed me that healthy soil is the foundation of better harvests. Today I earn more, my family is more secure, and I am proud to help other farmers achieve the same success."
Jean, smallholder farmer in Rwanda
Jean, a smallholder farmer in Rwanda, hopes every farmer knows that change is possible. His message isn't about luck or overnight success. It's about learning, trying new techniques, and trusting that small improvements can grow into lasting progress.
Today, Jean encourages other farmers not to fear formal financial services or new farming practices, but rather to invest in themselves, use credit responsibly, and implement regenerative agriculture techniques.
Growing a Stronger Farm Through Knowledge
Jean, 56, lives with his wife and six children. Like many smallholder farmers, he spent years working tirelessly on his farm despite challenges with inputs, weather, and limited support. It was a struggle to earn enough to support his family.
He cultivated crops through changing weather, declining soil fertility, pests, and disease outbreaks, but low yields made it difficult to reinvest in his farm or plan for the future.
"I worked hard every season, but the returns were very low. I believed that farming would always be a struggle," Jean says.
That began to change when a local Farmer Support Agent (FSA) helped organize a savings group in his community. Through the group, Jean participated in training on financial literacy, family business management, entrepreneurship, group dynamics, and regenerative agriculture. The practical skills he gained gave him new ways to strengthen both his farm and his family's financial future.
Smart Financial Access
One lesson stood out immediately: Credit could become an investment rather than a risk.
Before participating in the financial literacy training, Jean had a skeptical view of formal loans, but the training helped him understand how to create smart investment plans, borrow responsibly, and use financing to grow productive assets rather than cover short-term expenses.
With that confidence, he applied for his first loan of 100,000 Rwandan francs (RWF) through CLECAM Ejoheza. After successfully repaying it, he qualified for a larger loan of 250,000 RWF and, later, two additional loans of 300,000 RWF each.
Jean invested these funds exactly as he had planned with the goal of growing and improving his farm outputs. He expanded his farmland to nearly one hectare, diversified into livestock production, and helped his wife establish a retail business within their community. Together, these investments strengthened the family's income and created greater financial stability.
The RegenAg Transformation
At the same time, Jean began implementing regenerative agriculture practices.
Rather than changing his entire farm at once, he started with a single banana plot. There, he planted improved cooking banana varieties and introduced regenerative practices including mulching, compost application, slashing, and soil erosion control.
Jean was happily surprised by the results.
The average weight of each banana bunch increased from about 25 kilograms to more than 75 kilograms.
Encouraged by those results, Jean expanded regenerative practices across his entire farm.
The improvements continued and Jean saw:
· The average cabbage weight increased from 1 kilogram to 4 kilograms.
· Tomato income grew from 47,000 RWF to 95,000 RWF.
· Onion income increased from 68,000 RWF to 116,000 RWF.
Beyond higher yields, Jean noticed healthier soils, better moisture retention during dry periods, fewer pest and disease outbreaks, reduced labor requirements, and stronger resilience against changing weather conditions.
The improvements convinced him to fully transition away from conventional tillage and make regenerative agriculture the foundation of his farm.
Growth that Moves Past the Farm
Today, Jean consistently pays school fees for all six of his children and provides health insurance for his entire family. His household enjoys greater food security, stronger savings, and the ability to continue investing in their businesses for additional income.
Looking ahead, Jean plans to continue expanding his mixed farming enterprise, grow his livestock production, strengthen his wife's retail business, and continue investing in regenerative agriculture practices that protect both productivity and the environment.
Most importantly, he hopes to support all six of his children as they complete their education and build successful futures of their own.
Jean’s Community
Jean's progress has made him a trusted resource within his community.
Local leaders selected him to represent their community at agricultural exhibitions, where he shares his experience with other farmers. He also regularly hosts learning visits on his farm, demonstrating compost production, mulching, erosion control, and other regenerative practices.
Working alongside his local Farmer Support Agent, Jean now helps other farmers explore new approaches to financial management, responsible borrowing, and sustainable agriculture. Many of his neighbors have already begun adopting the same practices after seeing the results firsthand.
Jean's story demonstrates that practical, localized training, financial confidence, and regenerative agriculture can work together to strengthen farms, families, and entire communities. Today, the knowledge he received continues to multiply as he shares it with others, helping more farmers build resilient livelihoods and healthier farms for the future.