From your farm to your table: a case study of Lilian Mwanga’s adoption of value-added technology under the 2scale soy

Lilian Mwanga, a Soybean producer from Abachamana Women Group, Lung’anyiro, Matungu sub-county, Kakamega County has embraced Soybean Value addition technology. She produces products such as cakes, mandazis, crunches, milk, yogurt, and poultry feeds from soybean. Before the 2Scale soybean project began, Lilian said she was a housewife and entirely depended on her husband for provision. She practiced soybean production but on a smaller portion of land for home consumption.

Through the project intervention, Lilian says that she acquired knowledge on value addition which has been very beneficial and should be embraced more. She works on individual value-addition projects but is also a trainer of trainer from Abachamana Women Group. She trains various group members on value addition twice a month enabling her to reach 40 women, and 10 Youths from within and outside Lung’anyiro.

The 10 youth have adopted value addition and take advantage of the weekends to sell their soya products since they have to be in school during weekdays. The youth have attained a sense of independence and are able to cater to some of their needs with the profits received. This milestone has made Lilian happy and she indicates that she has been able to lease land elsewhere and plant soya since the land at home is not enough. Through soybean production, Lilian has been able to open her store, produce value-added products and sell them. Her experience shows that value addition produces increased incomes. Through selling her products locally, she was able to secure three school tenders, and in six months she was able to earn Kshs 82,000 and a profit of Kshs 38,000. This enabled her to expand the area under soya production, and attend to some of her basic needs which she attests has created cohesion and given her a voice in decision