Loveness is the very first woman to become a lead farmer in her village in Malawi. She supervises 29 other farmers, including 18 women. By sharing her knowledge of soil management and crop production with them, they all get the most out of their crops.

Before she encountered Action on Poverty, Loveness relied on local potato varieties. These potatoes took six months to mature and fetched low prices at market. She couldn't recover her costs and was unable to pay for her children's everyday needs.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. Over 50% of the population lives below the poverty line. Most Malawians live in rural areas and rely on their land to earn a living. But with climate change creating erratic weather patterns, farmers have to battle drought, flood and pests – a major threat to their livelihood.

Action on Poverty's Diversify Project empowers female farmers to take on leadership roles and influence household decision-making. With support through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), the project provided agricultural training to female farmers in Loveness' village.

Working with local partner, United Purpose, Action on Poverty trained farmers in good farming practices, leadership, and business skills. They also provided new sweet potato varieties that are more nutritious and marketable than local varieties.

Loveness planted four new varieties of sweet potato after working with her husband to decide on how to allocate land and share the labour. The new vines took just three months to harvest, and more than doubled her production.

"There is high demand for sweet potato at local markets," said Loveness. "Thanks to the Diversify Project, I have learned to manage sweet potato production, set goals, and influence household decisions."

Loveness used the money she earned from her first crop to buy maize for the family's meals. She paid her eldest daughter's school fees, and purchased building materials for a potato storage facility so she can continue to grow her business.