FRANCOISE, EXPERIENCED CASHEW NURSERY WOMAN IN PARAKOU

Françoise, a woman in her thirties, was born in Savè, 253 km from Cotonou. She comes from a family of farmers and went to school until the 4th grade. She is married and has 4 children. Very willing, she started the production of cashew seedlings in 2017 by following the steps of her husband who has been doing it since 2016 and who was reluctant to have her kill the plants. She started with plating, which was very difficult. "At first, I grafted 19 plants, 17 of which held up. It was from there that my husband understood that I am a pruning hand. So I launched myself and I had made 6000 plants. I knew the BeninCajù project in 2018. BeninCajù trained us on grafting techniques (veneer and terminal slit) and on the manufacture of efficient plant material, the bokashi which is an organic substrate to obtain rich, green plants in large quantities; this allowed me to realize 14 000 plants in 2020. I also benefited from equipment (watering cans, sieves, sprayers, pots, shovel)." Françoise PELEBE YABI.
In order to accompany the nurserymen and women to increase their production of cashew seedlings and by ricochet, the orchards, BeninCajù financed the intervention of two international experts who taught them the techniques of manufacture of Bokashi, a very powerful plant material which favors the production. In addition to the training on grafting techniques and bokashi, BeninCajù has initiated a professionalization program for cashew tree nurserymen. This program consists in training them on modules related to the growth of their enterprise, how to determine their production costs, calculate their profit and increase their income; the adapted management tools (journal: bank, expenses, sales); the suppliers' account, the customers' account); marketing and financial projection; the growth plan and the financing of the growth plan. The Covid-19 pandemic that appeared in March 2020 in Benin affected Françoise's daily life and activities. Contrary to her habits, it was rather her husband who made all the trips to the markets for supplies in order to preserve Françoise and their children. Read more here. 

Françoise in full preparation of the Bokashi