The Ivuso women first heard about pigeonpea from scientists working at ICRISAT and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) who were involved in the Pigeonpea Improve-ment Project for Eastern and Southern Africa funded by the African Development Bank. They learned that the grains are rich in minerals, vitamins, fats, and protein and that cultivating the crop is beneficial to their lands.

An estimated 30 percent of children under age 5 in sub-Saharan Africa are underweight, mainly due to a deficiency of energy and nutrients. They would benefit from eating pigeonpeas as they contain more minerals and 10 times more fat than ordinary peas, as well as five times more vitamin A and three times more vitamin C. The peas are 28 percent cheaper than meat and an equally good source of protein, making them an ideal supplement to traditional cereal- or tuber-based diets.

Armed with this new knowledge, Ivusos first aim was to improve nutrition by increasing pigeonpea consumption among the local communities. The women baked and sold cakes and biscuits containing a high proportion of pigeonpea, sorghum, and millet flour instead of the conventional wheat. Diana Nzomo, the associations founder was justifiably proud when she claimed, We have improved the quality of food eaten here.

Pigeonpea grains are mostly consumed whole in southern and eastern Africa. To promote more diverse forms of use, ICRISAT mounted training courses in India, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda for food technologists, processors, and farmers, especially women. The women participants learned how to make dhal or split pea, and studied traditional and modern dehulling methods used in India. Many have shared their knowledge with their friends and neighbors, thus creating a ripple effect in those countries.

Pigeonpea can also be a cash crop. It is already traded widely in Kenyas village markets and has enormous potential for large-scale commercialization with ready markets in Asia, North America, and Europe. Local exporters estimate they could double their business if farmers provide reliable supplies of high-quality grain. Thus, it made good business sense when the Ivuso women began producing and selling improved pigeonpea varieties to other farmers. As the women began experimenting, with assistance from ICRISAT scientists, grain yield and quality improved. Within just a few years, Ivuso has become a major player in Makindus thriving pigeonpea market.

Almost every part of pigeonpea is useful. The woody stems provide fuel and fencing material. The pods may be used as animal feed; the green leaves as fodder. Pigeonpeas also absorb atmospheric nitrogen and convert it into soil-nourishing nitrates. Each hectare of pigeonpea provides benefits equivalent to 40kg of fertilizer. Its deep rooting system helps bind the soil and reduce erosion. More important, the plant can find enough water and nutrients to produce grain even in drought years. The new varieties and farming techniques developed by KARI and ICRISAT have further increased the crops appeal.

Besides pigeonpea, the Ivuso women have also successfully adopted improved sorghum and millet technologies in their processing and baking enterprises. The Ivuso women carry out the whole range of food-related activities, from choosing varieties and sowing seeds, through nurturing and harvesting the crop, to processing and marketing. And the best among them train other farmers in seed selection, pest control, processing, and storage methods.

The Pigeonpea Project scientists are pleased to have played a role in this transformation because they know that no other crop offers such a remarkable combination of benefits for drought-prone areas of the semi-arid tropics.