MADE WITH RURAL is a movement that is incredibly passionate about transforming the agricultural sector in Africa.
Made with Rural is driven by the belief that this is possible by supporting and growing small scale farmers, specifically in rural areas, by leveraging mobile technology and creating access to markets.
This is done through a mobile app called PocketCrop, and by allowing small scale farmers to create economies of scale through pooling supply, and through more efficient supply chain infrastructure.
Spoke to Founder and CEO at Made with Rural Leeko Makoene about her personal and entrepreneurial journey!
Have you had challenges as a woman professional, how have you tackled them?
It is just stereo typing. One meets it almost on a daily basis. I don’t farm, I help farmers run successful businesses, and to find their rightful position in the agri-value chain. I am sometimes not seen as the ‘rightful’ person to do this. Some Farmers think it odd that I want to organize them when I am not full-time in the primary farming job, some government officials want me to have my own farm before they can support the work that I do. Farming in its nature is a male-dominated world, from the fields to the boardrooms – I don’t let that intimidate me. I get on with what I am here to do and focus my energies where it is appreciated.
What advice do you have for younger professionals who are looking forward to joining the profession?
Farming is diverse. Like any other Industry, it requires a great amount of passion, and patience. You need to do your research and see where exactly you would like to play in this space. Not everyone is built to be playing in the primary farming space but can use their talents in other facets of the profession. Farming is the future, if you can find any aspect of the industry that speaks to you, pursue it with all you have, and never look back. Our rural communities need more and more of us to make quality produce available to them, and for nutritional decisions to be affordable to each rural home, in our lifetime.
What initiative (if implemented) would leave the greatest impact for you and for Africa as a whole?
Rolling out our model to more communities will change the way you and me, corporate and retailers buy fresh produce. It is time we came together to help change the way the national fresh produce markets play ‘stock markets’ with food. We need to make fresh
produce accessible to every single household across the continent.
What would you change if you had all the powers in the world?
The current pricing system of the fresh produce markets in the country. It disadvantages the small farmer and sometimes makes quality fresh produce inaccessible to those who need the food the most. #future #job #work
