Success Story: Production of Quality Cocoa Supports Children's Education
Mrs. Ekra Marceline is a 40-year-old farmer from Daoukro, Côte d’Ivoire. She is the income earner of the family and is responsible for paying the school-related expenses of her four children.
Before participating in the Farmer Field School, Mrs. Marceline was producing approximately 100 kg of cocoa on a half hectare of land she received from her husband.
One of four women participating in the Farmer Field School held in Amanikouassikro, a village in San Pedro, she was a regular and punctual participant, always attentive to the technical details of the sessions. Being particularly interested in pruning and harvesting, she began practicing what she learned on her farm.
At first, her neighbors laughed when they saw her practicing these techniques on her farm and told her she was wasting her time. However, Mrs. Marceline was not intimidated, and she kept pursuing her dream of learning more about better farming practices and farm management.
In just six months later, she began to notice big changes on her farm; her cocoa trees were producing a lot of beautiful pods. That season, she harvested 500 kg of cocoa.
With technical assistance from STCP, she built a solar dryer and now produces some of the best quality cocoa in her village.
In fact, the manager of the cocoa warehouse of the cooperative section based in her village uses her cocoa beans as an example for visitors and other farmers to encourage them to produce good quality cocoa.
Today, the neighbors that once laughed at her are closely observing her farming methods and want to learn how they can increase their yields.
Mrs. Marceline’s increased income has allowed her to support her children’s education and assist her husband with the construction of a new home in their village.
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