In the villages of Mbacke, where the fields stretch to meet the horizon, myAgro’s Farmer Awareness Initiative is writing a unique story of connection and empowerment. This initiative stems from myAgro’s commitment to farmers, aimed at enhancing customer density by raising awareness, motivating Village Entrepreneurs (VEs) to engage with farmers, and providing the field team with a deeper understanding of a village’s potential for partnering with myAgro. It’s not just about farming; it’s about connecting, educating, and uplifting the farming community.
Papa Goumba Mbow, an Agricultural Agent (Ag Agent), shared his passion for this groundbreaking initiative.
“The Farmer Awareness Initiative is great. People are very satisfied with it,” he shared. “They’re happy to be visited by myAgro agents, not to enroll but to learn about our activities and the range of seeds and fertilizers we offer. It’s about showing them that we’re active in the village.”
He emphasized that recognition of the farmers’ hard work is key. The visits by VE’s, Ag Agents, and Field Coordinators (FCs) show the farmers that myAgro genuinely cares about them and their agricultural activities
“They feel seen and heard with the Farmer Awareness Initiative,” Papa Goumba noted.
Wadame Wade, a Field Coordinator who started this year, highlighted the initiative’s dual impact.
“Farmer Awareness is a great initiative,” he said. “It allowed me, as a brand new Field Coordinator, to introduce myself not only to the VEs but also to the members of the community. In Senegal, it’s a tradition to visit people and inquire about their families and activities. We used this tradition to introduce myAgro to those who were not very familiar with our work.”
Since Farmer Awareness began, Field Coordinators have been working tirelessly with Ag Agents and VEs to visit as many villagers as possible.
“We are confident we will visit all the people within the remaining 17 villages before the initiative ends,” Wadame Wade assured.
Khady, a 25-year-old VE and mother of four, shared her experience with the initiative.
“The people from the village are very happy about the Farmer Awareness,” she shared. “Just receiving a visit from someone from myAgro inquiring about their activities, especially their farming, was heartwarming. It shows that myAgro cares about people.”
Khady also highlighted the collaborative spirit among the team.
“I never felt alone in the Farmer Awareness process. Some days, I would do it with the Field Coordinator or the Ag Agent, who would give me tips and review the approach and techniques used to talk with the villagers,” Khady said. “Last year, there was no Farmer Awareness, but this year, after this initiative, I am confident it will translate into more enrollments.”
During a Farmer Awareness event, the communications team met with farmers who shared their thoughts and insights after meeting with myAgro.
Maty Lo is a farmer, wife, and mother of five children. She hasn’t enrolled with myAgro yet, but she’s considering it for the upcoming season after connecting with Khady during the Farmer Awareness Initiative. She expressed her interest in the okra and bissap packages, particularly because she doesn’t have large plots of land.
“I saw other women in the village who enrolled in those packages and had beautiful crops,” Maty shared. “I’m really happy that Khady Ndiaye visited me today and took the time to explain the different packages and payment methods without asking for immediate enrollment. I’ll have the time to think about it and discuss it with my husband before making a decision.”
We also met Moustapha Gueye, a seasoned farmer with over 40 years of experience. In addition to farming, he runs a grocery boutique. This season, he enrolled in 1 hectare of millet and fertilizer.
“The crops are looking good, and I’m waiting for the harvest to decide whether to enroll again or not,” he stated. Moustapha also emphasized the warmth of the VE’s visit.
“The fact that the VE took time out of her busy day to check on me is heartwarming.”
Diarra Sene, a Village Entrepreneur since 2022, also shared her approach to Farmer Awareness.
“I try to include variety in my visits. I do door-to-door, but I also gather groups of women to discuss in a more communal setting. The people are happy that I don’t reach out to them only to enroll or collect money. It’s a great way to precede enrollment, as people have a vivid recollection of my visit and the information I shared with them.”
Maimouna Bopp, a married mother of three, expressed her newfound appreciation for myAgro.
“I’ve never enrolled with myAgro, but my husband joined the bean package. To be honest, he’s very satisfied with the harvest. I’m really happy about the Farmer Awareness because, generally, people from myAgro never visited me personally or approached me to explain the company and its products,” she shared. “Now that I understand it better, I’d love to register for a package since I have a small piece of land I could farm.”
Lastly, Dior Faye, a young villager whose family farms their land, reflected on her experience.
“Even though I don’t farm, it was very insightful to understand what myAgro does. Now I can spread the word and explain it to my father and brother, who are the ones farming our family land.”
As a result of these conversations in villages throughout Senegal, myAgro’s Farmer Awareness Initiative has created over 200,000 new leads, bringing us one step closer to achieving our North Star goal of serving 1 million farmers by 2026, one village at a time.
