In Benin, cashew farmers are facing many challenges as they try to adapt to rapidly changing conditions due to COVID-19. We talked to Nicholas Mancus, TechnoServe’s chief of party for the BeninCajù program, to learn about the challenges these farmers are facing, how the pandemic is impacting women and men differently, and what TechnoServe is doing to help.
Food processors are an essential part of the food system in Africa, providing safe, shelf-stable food to consumers and a reliable market for millions of smallholder farmers. But they are currently facing unprecedented challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We talked to Brent Wibberley, TechnoServe’s director of food processing and nutrition, to learn how the food system in Africa is changing and what TechnoServe is doing to help food processors adapt.
The COVID-19 crisis has impacted farmers and entrepreneurs around the globe and has made it much more difficult for organizations to offer in-person support. How can these organizations provide this critical guidance remotely? TechnoServe identified three key principles for providing effective phone-based support when in-person training is not possible.
Gomti Devi is a smallholder guar farmer in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India, whose training from a previous TechnoServe program is helping her withstand the COVID-19 crisis. Having learned how to sew and to grow her own food, Gomti is saving money, reducing her risks — and now, giving back to protect the wider community.
In Kenya, the coronavirus pandemic is presenting new challenges for shopkeepers who must continue supplying their customers with essential goods, even amidst a global crisis. We talked to Alice Waweru, TechnoServe’s entrepreneurship regional program manager, about the challenges these micro-retailers are facing and what TechnoServe is doing to help.
In India, the coronavirus pandemic is threatening the livelihoods of millions of farmers and daily wage laborers. We talked to Punit Gupta, TechnoServe’s India country director, to learn how the virus is affecting rural communities and how TechnoServe is helping farmers continue to earn a living during this unprecedented time.
As the novel coronavirus COVID-19 spreads around the world, it is having a devastating economic impact. TechnoServe’s work developing capacity and building ecosystems to support entrepreneurs in countries across Latin America, Africa, and South Asia yields important lessons for today’s businesses struggling to withstand the crisis.
In Chile, the coronavirus pandemic is threatening the survival of many micro and small businesses. We talked to Corina Rivas, TechnoServe’s Chile country director, about the “very hard” situation on the ground, and how TechnoServe is helping entrepreneurs “reset” their businesses to survive.
