How a poor islander became a local leader
Maryline Legoff is a rural entrepreneur. She is 35 years old and a single mother with a 5-year-old son. Maryline lives on the island of Rodrigues, 640 kilometers off the island of Mauritius. For Maryline and the 38,000 people who live on Rodrigues, fishing is a way of life. But their livelihoods are threatened by declining fish stocks. The IFAD-funded Rural Diversification Programme has reached out to deprived and neglected regions of Mauritius and the island of Rodrigues, where rural poverty is widespread. The programme has helped participants to diversify their activities. Today they are engaged not only in fisheries, but also in agriculture, micro-enterprise and self-help community initiatives. Maryline was trained in planting and harvesting techniques. She immediately put her training into practice by cultivating her parents' land. “Before the project, I had no income generating activity and depended completely on my family,” says Maryline. "Today, I cultivate the land 12 months a year.” “From January to June I do vegetables and seedlings for strawberries and from July until December I do horticulture, says Maryline. “I grow cucumbers, pumpkins, lettuce, carrots, beetroots and strawberries. I sell my products in the local market and manage to make 12,000 rupees (US$380) in a year."
Maryline is also a local leader. She is the chair of a women's group with 75 members. This group and three other local associations are part of a federal organization with a membership of 400 women. The women's associations work in agriculture, textile, agro-processing, handicraft and service sector. Maryline plays the role mentor. She shares her experience and knowledge by training women in agriculture, teaching them planting and harvesting techniques. This activity provides her with an additional annual income of up to 1400 rupees (US$45). Maryline uses her income to buy seeds, fertilizer and other agricultural products for her small business. As a single mother, she is the sole breadwinner yet she manages to save 300 rupees (less than US$10) a month. But, despite her savings, Maryline is apprehensive. "My biggest two big challenges are how to get my produce to the market and have access to credit,” she says. “Since I do not have a guarantor, I cannot get a loan". Pratibha Johaheer, a Mauritian entrepreneur, is Maryline’s role model. Thanks to a loan from the Development Bank of Mauritius, Pratibha has managed to set up a small business. She sells pickles, jams and preserves and makes 20,000 rupees (US$640) a month. "My vision is to do as Pratibha, that is to enlarge my enterprise so that I can employ others and find a market outlet", says Maryline confidently. The Rural Diversification Programme started in April 2000. IFAD's loan is US$11 million and the total programme cost is US$16.5 million. The programme is reaching out to 15,180 poor small farmers, artisanal fishers and micro-entrepreneurs living in the deprived and neglected northern and eastern regions of Mauritius on the island of Rodrigues. Source: IFAD |
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