Harvesting Confidence: Joyce Laki’s Journey to Financial Independence
Joyce Laki’s story is not one of overnight success. It is one of steady progress of learning, applying new knowledge and making thoughtful decisions that have gradually changed her life.
A smallholder farmer from Chidala Village under Livilivi EPA in Balaka District, Joyce has grown cotton for several years. In 2021, she joined the WEECVC Project, implemented by AICC with support from We Effect. Since then, she has embraced improved farming practices, strengthened her financial skills and diversified her income.
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Like many women farmers, Joyce once relied on traditional methods. Despite cultivating three acres, yields were modest and returns fell short. “Before, I would harvest only five or seven bales from three acres. This season, I harvested six bales from just one acre. The biggest lesson was intercropping cotton with cowpeas, they control pests naturally, and my cotton is much Joyce with the sesame she has harvested healthier,” said Joyce.
The results were immediate. During the 2025 marketing season, Joyce earned MWK 900,000 from cotton a stronger return than MWK240,000 She had seen in previous years. Her other financial gains, however, came from sesame. Inspired by the project’s push for income diversification, Joyce planted sesame on an additional acre. She harvested four bags and earned MWK 780,000 from the sales. “Growing sesame has been one of my biggest achievements this season. It has become an important source of income for my family,” she said.
Financial literacy training through the project shifted how Joyce relates to money. She now saves in the bank between seasons, so she can buy seed and inputs without strain when the next planting time comes. She has also built small businesses that generate income year-round selling mandasi in the mornings and kanyenya in the evenings. “We learnt that farming alone is not enough, so I started small businesses that give me income every day,” she said
Collective saving has also shaped her progress. As secretary of a 35-member VSLA, Joyce helps her group save, borrow and invest. In their previous six-month cycle, members shared MWK 2,800,000 a clear demonstration of what collective discipline can achieve.
Using income from cotton, sesame and small business, Joyce has purchased 5 goats and 40 chickens. Her next goal is to extend her house and build a larger kraal for her growing livestock, investments she now believes are within reach.
For Joyce, the WEECVC project has done more than improve yields. It has changed how she farms, manages money and plans ahead. By combining cotton with diversified crops, savings and small business, she is steadily building a more secure life for her family.
