Myanmar, Aye Aye Thwe

Aye Aye Thwe is a smallholder farmer in the Yangon Division of Myanmar where she lives with her husband and their four children. Farming rented land, the family struggled to meet the cost of paying the rent and daily needs. Crop growth was restricted to the rainy season because they did not have means of irrigating the land for the rest of the year. During the dry season the family had to work as casual labourers to make ends meet.

The family discovered the potential of investing in a treadle pump from a neighbour who had recently purchased one. Including installation costs, the pump cost £22 which they paid off in full within two months by selling two crops of eggplants. Today, thanks to the treadle pump, they grow a diverse range of high-value crops, and their yield has increased by 70%. Aye Aye Thwe’s family is just one of 10,000 who have already been helped by IDE in Myanmar in the past 2 years.

Says Aye Aye Thwe: “I like the pump very much. We grow corn, cauliflower and eggplant and we get a good price because of using the pump. We use the extra money to pay for expenses and we have bought a bicycle. I also have extra time to make bamboo chairs which I can sell to earn more money.”