In the Lautem Municipality, 30-year-old mother of four Manuela now enjoys higher yields and her income has quadrupled to approximately USD 100 per week, providing more stability for her family. She now has the confidence to plan for her children’s future and take pride in her work. Her influence also extends beyond her household. Inspired by her progress, she is eager to guide other farmers in adopting sustainable practices. “I want to keep learning and improving so I can share what I know with others who want to farm using modern systems,” she explains.

Before joining ADRA’s Better Livelihoods Project Farmer Field School, Manuela farmed using traditional methods, carrying water long distances, hand-watering crops, and relying on basic tools. Despite immense effort, her yields remained low, leaving little to sustain her family.

Through Farmer Field School, her group of 20 farmers learned improved techniques such as land preparation, nursery establishment, organic fertilizer production, and market linkage skills. The most transformative innovation was drip irrigation, which delivers water directly to plant roots, conserving water, saving time, and boosting crop health.

With ADRA’s support—including small scale irrigation by drilling wells, plastic tunnels, drip hoses, pumps, and seeds—Manuela expanded her garden to 20 beds where she grows tomatoes, pak choy, lettuce, chillies, eggplant and long beans. Farming is now more productive and less physically demanding. “Before, I watered crops by hand and walked far to fetch water. It was exhausting. Now, the drip irrigation system saves water and helps my crops grow better,” she says. 

For ADRA, Manuela’s journey reflects more than improved productivity—it represents empowerment, resilience, and hope. Her transformation demonstrates the ripple effect of sustainable farming: when one farmer thrives, the whole community takes a step closer to food security and a brighter future. Through horticultural activities, she invested her earnings and group savings, along with loans facilitated by ADRA. Last month, she purchased materials to begin constructing her own modest house for her family.