With the support of World Vision, a traditional ironsmith in rural Tanzania shared his expertise with his family and friends and a successful factory was born. A small workshop for repairing farm machinery at Senani village in Maswa district has became a factory for making agricultural machines and now employs 15 people. The Senani Implements Group is situated 566 kilometers from the capital, Dares Salaam.

“We have been making different kinds oxen farm machinery since 1994,” says Wande Joseph, 30, one of the six female members of the group. Their products include ploughs, planters and weeding machines that are pulled by oxen. Lazaro Nila, a traditional ironsmith, decided to share his knowledge with relatives and friends. This led to a group of ten people setting up in business, sharing the work and the income.

When the business first started, they only replaced bolts and nuts on broken ploughs and ox-carts. But as the business grew they tried their hands at cutting and shaping metal to make frames for the broken machines. Eventually they started making new machines from scrap metal.

World Vision’s local development programme assisted them in 1996. “We got a loan of 1.5m shillings [£582] and bought many pieces of scrap metal,” says Lazaro. The group repaid the interest-free loan in the same year and the business has continued to expand. World Vision now buys ploughs from the group to assist local farmers.

“It has been a good business since we have been able to make money out of it,” says Wande. Last year the group sold 40 machines to a neighbouring district. Ploughs and planters cost Sh100,000 (£39) while a weeding machine costs Sh70,000 (£27). Having studied the latest farming methods, the group also builds farm machinery that helps to ensure better crop yields and higher income for farmers. Each member of the group has technical expertise after receiving training on productivity and organisation from World Vision.

As the business has grown, group members have begun to see the benefits. “I have been able to buy a farm and cows from money I earned from this business,” says Lazaro. Cows are an important indicator wealth in Maswa.

“Sometimes my family survived on porridge only, but now it is history,” says Lupande. He now earns an allowance as a ‘Trainer-of-Trainers’ for oxen farming machinery. Before adopting good farming methods he used to harvest 270 kilograms per acre. He is now harvests around 1,200 kilograms per acre.

World Vision has been assisting the group by finding a market for their machinery and the group now receives orders from other districts and a nearby agricultural training institute. The Senani Group now uses local resources, up-to-date farming methods and marketing know-how to benefit their families and their community.