Improving Livelihoods through Farming Initiatives
Project SLF: Sustainable Livelihoods for Farmers
Partner: International Needs Uganda (INUG)
Location: Jinja and Kayunga District, Uganda
(Note: INA does not have overseas offices and staff. We support, help grow, and learn from established in-country community-based partners).
The Problem
The Jinja and Kayunga Districts in East-Central Uganda are populated predominantly by rural farming communities who adhere largely to traditional tribal political structures and practices. Gender disparity and lack of education are two of the region’s most pressing issues, which are exacerbated by accelerating rural-urban migration of local youth, comparatively high levels of poverty, and labour scarcity. However, the region’s history and fertile land make it ripe for further agricultural development which has been identified as an avenue out of poverty. As 70% of the nation’s population already derives income from farming and agriculture, persistently high levels of poverty denote a need for an infrastructural and methodological overhaul to maximise yield efficiency and address household and community poverty.
The Project
This project has been running since January 2013 under the financial support of ANCP, and has entered a new phase as of late 2022. More than 4000 small-scale and subsistence farmers have been introduced to the Farmers Associations (FAs) established and supported by the project, which empowers participants through training in leadership and project management, business management and financial literacy. More than 80% of the farmers have attributed increases in agricultural production and productivity to the project so far. The overall intention of the project is to improve the capacity of the FAs so they may sustain their organisations after the project is finished, and to support individual farmers in establishing sustainable incomes which will improve the overall quality of life of their families.
Our Goals
Goal 1: To improve the capacities of partner FAs to support and empower their members towards improved livelihoods.
Goal 2: To improve the abilities of farming Households to sustainably meet their own nutritional, educational, and health needs.
Projected Beneficiaries: 2800
What your support has helped achieve so far (in previous phases of this project)
Progress Update (from July’21 until June’22)
- 8 Farmers Associations (FAs) were able to provide effective planning and management of farmers’ enterprises, while 10 FAs were equipped with systems, policies and structures that enhanced organisational effectiveness,
- 8 FAs were assisted to maintain up-to-date book keeping, and to generate their own additional incomes to sustainably support their operations,
- Of 3,250 farmers, 85% accessed regular and timely agricultural extension education and demonstrated an improvement in their farming practice.
To help improve the well-being of farming households so they can meet their educational, health and nutritional needs, donate today.
Project Two: Improving the Well-Being of Other Vulnerable Children, Their Household & Communities
Our Goals
With funding from ChildLink supporters, the International Needs Child Assistance Program (INCAP) is supporting vulnerable children in the following ways:
- Ensuring the well-being of children and families through meeting education and health needs,
- Improving family incomes so families can better support their own children in education and health.
Progress Update (from July’20 until June’21)
- 317 children were supported in their education and health,
- 25 local radio sessions were conducted, with topics including family themes, conflict management, financial management and planning, child protection, parenting, coping with COVID among others,
- 167 participants attended 2 trainings on Child Protection and sustainable development,
- 6 Child Protection groups with a total membership of 137 (19 men, 118 women) were supported with a low interest loan,
- 36 families were supported with improved goats,
- 237 Linked families or staff at partner schools were supported with food (Posho, Rice soap Sugar and cooking oil),
- 5 staff trainings were conducted, and 2 staff retreats were held (attended by at least 7 staff members) to improve their management capacity.
To help boost the well-being of children and families and help them increase their income so they can support their children’s education and health, donate today.
Project Three: Women at Risk
Progress Update (beginning January 2020)
- 60 women were supported and received training in agricultural practices,
- 24 out of the 60 (40%) women realised average increase in their incomes from UGX 400,000 ($152 AUD) to UGX 1,400,000 ($532 AUD) in the first half of the year,
- 29 female farmers received loans and 37.5%% of the women have begun repaying their loans. Loan repayments are below expectation due to the COVID-19 lockdown,
- 58 out of the 60 women (96.6%) are practicing some form of improved farming methods compared to before the trainings. The women now apply improved seeds, recommended seed spacing, fertilizers, weed and pest control.