Those who met him about 10 years ago, remember him as a sharpener of young minds; a model teacher. Over that period he moulded hundreds of tender minds that went through his hands at Kamabare Primary School in Bugesera District.

However, Sylvestre Minani’s mind was not at ease because of what he calls low pay he was getting as a classroom teacher at the time.

Minani, a resident of Ruhuha sector, says since he could not make ends meet as a teacher, he decided to roll up his sleeves and try his hand at commercial farming.

"I was struggling to put food on the table then, so there was no alternative but to throw in the towel and try my lack elsewhere,” he says.

The decision ended the nine-year teaching career of the 32-year-old former teacher.

Hard times call for hard decisions

Minani says during his time, primary school teachers faced a lot of challenges. This compounded the situation he was in as an orphan whose childhood was defined by poverty.

He says that though his guardians did their best and sent him to school, he lacked most the basics of life while growing up.

"Even after graduating with a diploma in education in 2007, it was still hard to raise money for transport and food, besides other necessities a teacher should have,” he narrates.

He says the fact that he was earning Rwf80,000 monthly salary meant he required a high level of financial discipline and sacrifice to go through the month without accumulating debts. "So, when I assessed my aspirations, I realised that I was never going to do much with this money,” says Minani.

He notes that his friends who were earning more than he did were also not doing any better. That’s why I decided to try agriculture, he explains.

Starting out

Minani says after he decided to quit teaching in 2010, he approached Umwalimu SACCO, a teachers saving and credits institution, and applied for a Rwf700,000 loan to kick-start the project.

"Though few people believed I had made the right decision, I was convinced it was the best option I had on the table. The classroom was no longer an option for me. Besides, I knew I would serve more people in the new sector I was joining,” he says.

Minani notes that he used some of the money to buy two pieces of land, where he started intensive banana farming.

"I also cultivated beans, maize and other legume crops in the banana plantation to maximise productivity and profits,” he notes.

He points out that the strategy helped him repay the loan on time, and apply for another loan of Rwf1.9 million, which he used to expand his plantation and later venture into livestock farming.

"When my business started doing well, different banks were knocking on my door offering me various loan products, something that inspired me to even work harder,” he says.

He says after about two years, he was earning over Rwf200,000 per month from banana sales, and a total profit of Rwf10 million annually from all his various enterprises.

Challenges

Prolonged weather vagaries - dry spells, heavy rains and floods, as well as high interest rates have been some of the big challenges he has experienced so far.

"Modern farming is capital intensive and requires a lot of time and attention which sometimes makes it difficulty.”

Besides, we are faced with the challenge of price fluctuation and poor rural road infrastructure which ultimately affects the quality of our produce, Minani explains.

Achievements

Minani says he has been able upgrade his education, and now holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Kigali Institute of Education (now University of Rwanda College of Education).

They say that once a teacher always a teacher…This could explain why Minani plans to start a school in his hometown in Bugesera District.

"I have built a permanent home for my family. I am confident that I will not find it hard to pay fees for my children at university,” he says.

Advice

Minani advises borrowers to always have plans before applying for loans. "Sticking to this plan is essential for one to be able to repay the loan because you are sure of what you are investing in,” he notes.

For those who want to venture into farming, he says it is important to be part of it and not par-timers. He urges other farmers to employ modern farming techniques for better rewards.

Future plans

Minani has set his eyes on the regional market, and wants to venture into the banana processing and export business targeting the East African Community market.

"Rwanda is still importing a lot of food from the neighbouring countries. But farmers can turn this into an opportunity, especially through extensive agriculture production,” he says.

Also, being able to add value to what we produce will give us a comparative advantage…that’s why I want to invest in food processing.

What his bankers say about him

Aimable Dusabirane, the chief operation officer at Umwalimu Sacco, says Minani is one their best borrowers, noting that the farmer is also principled.

Dusabirane urges other teachers to emulate his example and improve their livelihoods instead of complaining of poor pay all the time.