Pommerini – A Great SACCOS and Our First AMCOS!

Leaving Kitowo we drove down the road another 30 minutes to Pommerini.  Pommerini is one of our more successful locations.  They have been growing steadily for the past few years.  Starting with 50 members and 7,000,000 TZS (about $3900) they have grown to 107 members with 17,000,000 (about $9,450).  This last year they earned over 2,000,000 TZS (about $1,100).

The SACCOS members at Pommerini had better luck than those at Kitowo.  Despite the low prices, everyone at Pommerini did okay last year.  A couple of occurrences meant that loans had to be reworked; two members died last year and one became very ill.  The loans to the members who died are being paid by their cosigners (all loans require two cosigners) so they are late, but they are being paid.  The member who became ill had 1/3 of his loan repaid by his savings and his family is now repaying the rest of the loan.  We were concerned that perhaps the SACCOS members might feel that these rules are too harsh, but this SACCOS has instilled in every member the understanding that the loans they take out must be repaid for the SACCOS to succeed.

It was exciting to hear the report of the first Iringa Hope AMCOS.  An AMCOS is an Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society.  It is basically a Farmers Union or Farmers Coop.  We are starting to form AMCOS so that our members will have a place to buy their seed and fertilizer.  Last year we worked with this village to form our first AMCOS.  Last fall was their first season in business. 

Their AMCOS already has 70 members.   About 45 of the members of the AMCOS are also members of the SACCOS.  Last fall the AMCOS borrowed 15,000,000 TZS (about $10,000 at that time) from IHJS and bought fertilizer to sell to the members.  They sold it to their members for 55,000 TZS a bag and to non-members for 65,000 per bag.  They sold 174 bags of fertilizer, making a profit of 900,000 (about 10%) and they have a few bags of fertilizer left.

When asked for their evaluation on how their AMCOS could better serve them, they told us that they could have sold much more fertilizer if they had had more stock.  They also want to buy seed to sell and they want their AMCOS to stock sprayers and insect spray.  There was a lot of enthusiasm as they plan for the future.  We discussed our plans to have 5 AMCOS registered this year and to start a Joint AMCOS, which will be able to purchase farming supplies collectively.

 

After the meeting we gathered the AMCOS members together for a photo of the first Iringa Hope AMCOS.  All of the members weren’t at the meeting, but for those who were this will be a fun photo to have.  If all goes well, someday there will be an AMCOS by every SACCOS in Iringa Hope.

The first member interviewed here was Atu Mangulisa.  Atu is 52 years old, married, and the mother of six.  She and her husband are supporting all of the children because they are all in school; the youngest is in Form 4 and the others in technical schools and the university.  Atu joined Iringa Hope so that she could earn some extra money for her children’s school fees.  This last year she borrowed $135 to plant peas.  Her peas were damaged with the hail but were not destroyed.  As a result, after repaying her loan, she earned a $70 profit. This year she is hoping to borrow $400 and plant more acreage with peas. 

The second interview was with Donald Nyalusi.  Donald is 32 years old, married, and has two young children.  He is a primary school teacher, but he tells us that teachers are paid so poorly that he must farm as well.  Last year he borrowed $200 to plant peas from which he earned a profit of $135.  He used his profit from this to pay his sister’s school fees (she is in form 4 this year).  He is hoping to borrow $560 this year.  If he gets this loan he will plant some maize and some peas.  He wants to start diversifying his farm so that he will not be crippled by any one problem.

Our afternoon at Pommerini concluded with a meal of chicken and rice.  It was a long day, followed by a very bumpy ride back to Iringa, but the people we met and talked with left us feeling encouraged and impressed with how, with the assistance of Iringa Hope, positive changes are happening in their lives.  

Arriving at Pommerini we were greeted by some old friends.

The room where the meeting was held was absolutely full.

The chairman of the first Iringa Hope AMCOS gave a report.

These are the members of the first Iringa Hope AMCOS who were present at our meeting.

The first member interviewed here was Atu Mangulisa.  Atu is 52 years old, married, and the mother of six.

The second interview was with Donald Nyalusi.  Donald is 32 years old, married, and has two young children.