Angela holds her one-year-old son in her arms, he is slowly falling asleep in the Timor-Leste heat. As a single mother, Angela is the sole provider and carer for her son and would do absolutely anything to take care of him.

Both of Angela’s parents have passed away, she and her baby now live with her brother and her two sisters.

Angela grew up in poverty and was unable to finish primary school. Her lack of education has made it difficult to find a job. Despite applying for many different jobs, she has not been successful.

To provide for her son, Angela started to sell bananas in her local markets.

Living in such a rural area of Timor-Leste, the roads to her village are difficult to drive or even cycle along. It is easier for Angela to walk and carry the bananas with her, although this takes longer.

When she heard that there was an ADRA project coming to her community, she jumped at the opportunity to get involved. ADRA’s Farmers to Market project helps farmers like Angela learn new skills and strengthen their income.

She was most excited about being able to attend the Farmers Field school to learn more about agriculture and business.

The ADRA staff team surveyed her family farmland and provided 16kg of ginger cuttings.

Angela faithfully attended every class and learned how to grow and harvest ginger, and its value in the market. She also joined a collective farmers group in her village. The farmers group have a signed contract with buyers. This means Angela does not have to sell her ginger in the local market but can instead sell straight to the contractor meaning a better price and saving her time and money.

Angela is already planning next years harvest and will grow even more ginger to sell.

She is grateful for the ADRA project and the better income she now has. She also can now spend more time with her son and offer him a brighter future.

Learn more about the FarMar project and donate to help more people like Angela here.