She is empowered - Esther's story

Seeing the connection

I joined Marginpar in 2021 through an internship. For four months, I went through training across different departments, including Production, Post-harvest, Human Resources, and Hamuka (Kaizen). That experience helped me understand how connected the work is on a farm. Quality is not one person’s job. It depends on how departments work together, and how clearly expectations are shared.

The first supervisor role

After graduating, I moved into a supervisory position in the Crop Production team. That was my first step into leadership. During that period I was taken through several trainings, including Supervisory Skills, Integrated Pest Management, and Safe Use of Pesticides. This strengthened my technical knowledge, and also helped me build confidence in making decisions and guiding a team in a consistent way.

A chance to prove myself

Two years later, I applied for a vacancy in the Support Maintenance team and got the position. My team consisted of forty men. Working in that department made me stronger in people management, workforce planning, and collaboration with other stakeholders within the farm. It also showed me that empowerment is not about being given a title. It is about being given the chance to prove yourself in real conditions, and being expected to lead with clarity and fairness.

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“Empowerment is not about being given a title, it’s about being given the chance to prove yourself in real conditions.

Finding my passion

At the same time, my passion for Hamuka continued to grow. Agnetta, our Senior Hamuka Coordinator, noticed that and gave me the opportunity to take an acting role as a Hamuka Coordinator. I wore two hats. In support of the Farm Manager and Production Manager, I acted as Unit Manager while continuing in the Hamuka role. That experience taught me something practical. Improvement only works when it fits daily routines, and when teams can apply it consistently on the ground.

Moving forward

A couple of months ago I became Assistant Production Manager. I have also recently had the chance to enroll in the CKP (Certified Kaizen Practitioner) course under the sponsorship of Marginpar, which enables me to learn more regarding Hamuka (Kaizen).

I have a wide range of interests and I will always keep learning. I don’t see development as something to finish. I have experienced firsthand what changes when women are trained properly, are supported by managers, and trusted with responsibility over time. That is how leadership becomes visible and achievable, step by step. My dream of becoming farm manager feels closer every day!”