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 practical changes she can see in her fields and her finances.
Vestine and her husband farm less than 1 hectare of bananas, maize, and beans while raising three children. Like many smallholder farmers in her community, she faced challenges that kept her family focused on survival, with little room to plan for the future. Poor soil fertility, inconsistent rainfall, high labor costs, and a lack of savings often left her vulnerable—she was forced to rely on informal, high-interest lenders, feared working with banks, and struggled to build financial security.
Everything began to shift when Vestine joined a regenerative agriculture training with her Opportunity International Farmer Support Agent.
Stronger Soil, Better Yields, and a More Resilient Farm
Her training showed Vestine practical, affordable techniques to rebuild her soil, retain moisture, diversify crops, and reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers. These changes were visible and measurable, 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 began strengthening her financial skills through her local savings group. She started setting aside 500 Rwandan francs (~$0.35) a week, building a small but important buffer that gave her peace of mind and room to pursue new opportunities.
With stronger savings and more reliable farm income, Vestine opened a small retail shop in her village, creating another steady income stream to help cover household expenses and her children’s school fees. She also invested in livestock—raising cows, pigs, and poultry—which improved her family’s nutrition and diversified their income.
For the first time, Vestine felt confident working with a formal financial institution. She secured several bank loans and used them to launch a small transport business. Today, she owns three rental motorcycles that generate income and help her repay her loans responsibly.
A Better Life at Home and Bigger Dreams For the Future
With her increased earnings, Vestine rebuilt her house and easily pays for two of her children to attend a reputable boarding school. Her children recognize the changes and tell her, “We will be like you, Mom, when we grow up.”
While she continues to navigate challenges like transportation difficulties during rainy months and occasional pest outbreaks, Vestine now has the tools, network, and confidence to keep improving her farm and her businesses.
Her next goals include:
- Expanding her farm
- 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 savings group, Vestine now encourages other women to save consistently, invest wisely, and adopt the same regenerative agriculture practices that helped her farm—and her confidence—grow. 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 demonstrates what becomes possible when women farmers gain access to the right training, financial tools, and support. Vestine's story reflects the power of women leading change in their homes, their farms, and their communities—one confident step at a time.