Economic Difficulties Drive Business Innovation in Cabinda
At 35 years old, those who see Antonieta Umba with a broad smile may not know that until recently, her reality gave her few reasons to celebrate.
The young entrepreneur is a symbol of resilience in the Chinga community, in the Cabinda Province, where she has lived since her marriage.
As a child, she lost her father, who was the family's provider. She was raised by her mother, who, upon becoming the head of the family, could not afford to pay for her children's schooling. As a teenager, Antonieta was forced to abandon her studies and marry to help support the household. After some time, she separated from her partner, took on the responsibility of the family, and began working as a farmer to provide for and ensure the survival of her children.
Her greatest dream was to be an entrepreneur and become a vendor. She was always aware that if she sought a job in a company, she would not find a good opportunity due to not having completed her studies. Therefore, she planned to combine fieldwork with a boost through selling food products in local markets.
In 2017, already with two children, she started as a farmer in a shared plot. At that time, she grew cassava for personal consumption and sale. She learned from other farmers in her community how to manually process the root to turn it into flour, especially chicuanga.
Nearly a year ago, with the start of the Agricultural Value Chains Development Project in Cabinda Province, funded by the African Development Bank and implemented by World Vision, Antonieta and other members of the then "Prova de Fé" group received training in entrepreneurship, associativism, and financial literacy, which prepared them to boost their businesses. Through the community fund, they developed the understanding of not spending all the money they earn, and with their savings, they are able to capitalize and reinvest to increase production.
"If I can earn more money from what I sell, I will be able to pay workers to plant potatoes, bananas, and more cassava, and beans... if I plant alone, it won’t work, then I will sell and actually make a profit," Antonieta said confidently, acknowledging that associativism was what changed the reality for women in that region. By working together, they were able to cultivate a larger area and achieve a better harvest.
A few months ago, due to the excellent performance demonstrated by the cooperative, they received a cassava processing machine.
"I have been able to produce flour in larger quantities and more quickly. Before, we made only 10 to 20 kilos per day, which was not enough to support our children. The profit we made was very low, between Kz 150 (USD 0,16 ) to 200 (USD 0,22 ) per kilo sold. In total, we went home with only Kz 3,000 (USD 3,35 ) or 4,000 (USD 4,46 ) which was barely enough to buy food for the day, sometimes only one meal. The rise in food prices put us in a very difficult situation. Now, with the help of the machine, we produce 100 to 200 kilos per day and can sell more quickly, meaning we can earn between Kz 30,000 (USD 33,52) and 40,000 (USD 44,69) a very important help for buying other things for the house."
In the future, the cooperative plans to apply for formal credit through a bank. With the funds received, they will invest in purchasing transportation to facilitate the movement of production from the field to the processing site, bringing dynamism to the value chain process.
Antonieta defines herself as a hardworking woman. Her desire is to serve as an example for her family and community and see her children finish school and secure good jobs, so they can enjoy a more secure future, and she can have a comfortable old age.