Sister Martha Waziri, 45, is one of the 2012 Female Food Hero finalists. All over Tanzania, women work the land but are unable to own it due to cultural restrictions. Sister Martha was determined to change this.

As a 17-year-old she found some barren unused land that none of the local men wanted. But when she asked the local authorities if she could use it, they laughed at her. “I became an object of ridicule,” she recalls.

Eventually, she fought and got her way. She has since turned 18 acres of unwanted wasteland into a thriving farm, growing sugarcane, sweet potatoes, bananas and more.

In doing so she has become a beacon of change for other local women, many of whom have now followed her example. The profits from her farm has allowed Sister Martha to support 12 local orphaned children, providing them with food and shelter.

Read Sister Martha's story here: oxf.am/JHu