By Marie Marthe Saint Cyr | Executive Director
"Three years ago, I walked or paid a motor taxi to go to the next two towns to mill rice without a guarantee that I would be able to complete the task within that day. I could not count on going to market that day or return to cook some rice and feed my children. Today, I could put the water to boil while I run to the mill to prepare some pods to feed my children after school."
The Saint Martin Youth Association for Community Development (AJSDC) assures services to the local farmer and expands the local market capacity to provide food for purchase in the area of Saint Martin where they have situated the mill. Initially set to mill corn, this site is now milling, rice and millet as well and is providing a needed service that expands food production and improves quality of life for the consumer and the producer.
Since its inception in 2011, farmers have milled 1,078,335 pounds of cereal (597,170 rice; 267,655 millet and 213,510 corn). In spite of a six month drought in 2014, they transformed and placed 157,058 lbs of the most consumed cereals in the area - rice, millet and corn.
AJSDC is sustainable, having created revenue to sustain itself, hired mechanic operators and managers, expands a rebate to their members and substantially improving their clientele. Currently their consumers are made up of 70% neighborhood farmers rather than the members that made up 100% when they first started. Service impact is beyond the membership of their organization and they continue to grow as an enterprise.
Your investment, the farming organization's efforts and the support that the Lambi Fund has in their partnership has improved conditions of life for their farmers and contributed to the growth of farming in the region. For that, we are more than grateful for your participation.
Thank you for joining us in our steadfast committment to assisting rural famers in changing their lives.
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