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Beatrice Sodala is an innovative entrepreneur in Kalomo, Zambia, who has been providing much-needed support to local farmers for over a decade. As a Farm Business Advisor, Beatrice earns an income by traveling farm to farm, providing tools and resources that help farmers reap higher yields and adapt to climate change.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Zambia in March 2020, Beatrice quickly adapted to the new circumstances. She underwent training by the Ministry of Health officers on COVID-19 awareness, facilitated by iDE, and used this knowledge to conduct awareness training in her communities.

Unfortunately, Beatrice experienced a drop in her business due to the pandemic. But instead of giving up, she innovated. She used phone-based training from iDE on commodity aggregation and mobile money platforms to engage in commodity aggregation and selling to traders.

Now she runs a rural aggregation center where crops are gathered together to be sold in bulk. She has trained over 450 other farmers in the use of airtight storage bags, which protect harvested grain from pests and help prevent losses. While the new style of bags are more expensive than traditional canvas bags, the savings plus the health benefits are more than worth it.

What's next for Beatrice