In the small village of Ndiongolor, Senegal, many women once felt unsure of their ability to grow more than just enough food for their families. Growing market crops for income seemed out of reach—an ambition overshadowed by a lack of confidence and training.

That all began to change when World Renew’s local partner, ELS, introduced a new initiative: Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs). These associations gave women a powerful tool to take control of their financial futures. By contributing to a shared savings pool, members could access low-interest loans for personal and business needs. But the real catalyst for change came from the training sessions that accompanied these meetings—sessions focused on income-generating skills that opened new doors.

Marie, a VSLA member, was very excited about these training opportunities. After participating in a course on market gardening, she learned a multitude of gardening best practices, such as composting, mulching to avoid water stagnation, and even creating environmentally safe biopesticides to protect her crops.

Marie put her new knowledge to work right away, and the results were remarkable. Her once modest garden blossomed into a vital source of nourishment and income. “I use market gardening to feed myself and my family,” Marie said. “So, this program changed my life.”

One particular crop that Marie learned about was the cassia italica, a medicinal plant used to treat infections. This crop is in high demand, even attracting customers from abroad. Growing and selling cassia italica is now giving Marie and her family a steady source of bonus income.

She is pleased that she can now afford to purchase school supplies and medicine for her children and is helping her family become income secure. Marie is also helping her community to thrive; she has trained 30 women on market gardening, sharing the knowledge that has helped to transform her life.

“Agriculture remains a very important activity in the community,” Marie said. “We’ve seen nothing but positive changes as a result of this program.”

Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, income-generating programs like these are empowering women to build brighter futures for themselves, their families, and their communities—one harvest at a time.