A Day in the Life: How Stawi Field Officers Transform Farmer Outcomes

The alarm goes off at 5:30 AM in Mtwara Town. Salim Hassan, one of Stawi’s 25 field officers, starts his day with prayer, a quick breakfast of chapati and chai, and a review of his schedule on the Stawi mobile app.

Today’s agenda: three farm visits, a group training session, and collecting quality samples from the Kilwa Women’s Cooperative. It’s a typical Tuesday.

6:30 AM: On the Road

Salim fires up his Honda motorcycle—the essential tool of any field officer—and heads out on the dusty road to his first visit. The 45-minute ride through the coastal scrubland takes him past cashew orchards in various stages of growth.

“You can tell a lot about farmers just by looking at their trees from the road,” Salim explains. “Healthy trees, cleared undergrowth, proper spacing—these farmers are following the program. When I see overgrown fields or yellowing leaves, I know there’s work to do.”

7:30 AM: First Visit - A Success Story

Mama Hadija’s farm is a model of what’s possible. Three years ago, she joined Stawi with just a small cassava plot and a lifetime of subsistence farming experience.

Today, 120 cashew trees stand in neat rows, their branches heavy with developing nuts. Eight beehives at the orchard’s edge hum with activity. A brick structure—her honey extraction room—sits where a grass hut once stood.

“I come here when I need motivation,” Salim admits. “Hadija reminds me why we do this work.”

The visit is brief—a quick inspection of her trees, a check of her records, and discussion about the upcoming harvest. Hadija’s questions are sophisticated now: she wants to know about export market trends and whether she should expand her beehive count next season.

9:00 AM: Second Visit - Problem Solving

The next farm presents challenges. Mzee Omar enrolled last year and received 75 seedlings, but survival rates have been disappointing. Today, Salim needs to understand why.

Walking the rows together, the issues become clear: uneven watering, competition from weeds, and some evidence of pest damage on younger trees.

“This isn’t failure—it’s learning,” Salim tells Omar. “Your first year is always hardest. Let’s talk about what we can fix.”

They spend 30 minutes creating an action plan:

• Mulching around each tree to retain moisture
• A weeding schedule for the coming month
• Organic pest management techniques
• Replacement seedlings for the trees that didn’t survive

Before leaving, Salim takes photos to document conditions and updates the farmer profile in his app. The regional team will follow up on replacement seedling logistics.

11:00 AM: Group Training Session

A collection point in Mtchinga village serves as today’s training venue. Eighteen farmers gather under a large mango tree—the traditional meeting spot.

Today’s topic: post-harvest handling and quality grading. As cashew harvest approaches, farmers need to understand what makes the difference between Grade A (premium prices) and Grade C (baseline prices).

Salim uses sample nuts and a grading card to demonstrate:

• Proper drying techniques
• Moisture content indicators
• Storage best practices
• Common defects and their causes

The training is interactive—farmers share their own experiences and challenges. A lively debate breaks out about ideal drying duration (consensus: depends on humidity, but 2-3 days minimum).

Two new farmers attend for the first time, having heard about Stawi from neighbors. Salim collects their information for the registration queue.

1:00 PM: Lunch and Admin

A meal of rice and fish at a local kiosk provides a chance to catch up on paperwork. Salim reviews training attendance, uploads his morning photos and notes, and checks messages from headquarters.

A notification indicates that the women’s cooperative collection is confirmed for 3 PM. He sends a quick message to the cooperative chairperson: “On schedule. Prepare quality samples as discussed.”

3:00 PM: Cooperative Collection

The Kilwa Women’s Cooperative is one of Stawi’s flagship farmer groups: 85 women who have collectively transformed their community through beekeeping and cashew farming.

Today, Salim collects quality samples that will be tested before the full harvest is purchased. The process is rigorous:

• Random sampling from each batch
• Visual inspection for defects
• Moisture testing with digital meter
• Documentation with photos and signatures

“Quality control protects everyone,” Salim explains to newer cooperative members. “It ensures fair prices for excellent produce and gives buyers confidence in Stawi products.”

The chairperson, Amina, has questions about the timing of the main collection. They coordinate schedules and transport logistics.

5:30 PM: Heading Home

The sun is low as Salim points his motorcycle back toward Mtwara. The day’s data syncs to headquarters as he drives through patchy cell coverage.

Back home, he’ll review tomorrow’s schedule, call a few farmers with follow-up questions, and write up his weekly activity report. Field officers submit detailed reports every Friday—data that drives Stawi’s understanding of field conditions and farmer needs.

The Field Officer Difference

Stawi’s field officer network is arguably our most important asset. Here’s why:

Trust Building: In rural areas, relationships matter more than credentials. Farmers trust advice from people they know—and field officers become part of their communities.

Timely Intervention: Problems caught early are easier to solve. Regular visits mean issues are identified before they become crises.

Data Collection: Every visit generates information that improves our programs. We know, farm by farm, what’s working and what isn’t.

Extension Replace: In many areas, government agricultural extension services are underfunded or absent. Stawi field officers fill this gap.

Join Our Team

Growing our field officer network is among our top priorities as we scale. If you’re passionate about agriculture, comfortable working independently in rural areas, and driven to make a difference, we want to hear from you.

View Current Openings | Contact Us

Grace Wanjiku is Head of Community Development at Stawi, overseeing field officer recruitment, training, and farmer engagement programs.