SONGEA, April 2 -- In the daily hustle and bustle of Songea Main Market, there are countless stories of people striving to build better lives through small businesses.

Among them is Helena Komba, a courageous woman and entrepreneur earning a living through vegetable sales. It is around 6:00pm on Tuesday, March 10, when I visit Songea Main Market in Ruvuma Region. Amid the noise of buyers and sellers, I meet Helena Komba. Helena, a mother of two and a resident of Mateka Ward, has been trading vegetables in the market for more than five years.

At her stall, Helena sells a variety of vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, spinach, pumpkin leaves, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes, and eggplants. She explains that lifes challenges moti...