Sowing Seeds of Confidence and Hope

Annet, residing in a last-mile village in the Kibaale district, is a grandmother, a farmer and a financially independent woman. While Annet has always been passionate about agriculture, her hard work was overshadowed by constant struggles and disappointing results until recently. “I loved farming so much but almost stopped doing it because the amount of time and money I was putting in was more than the harvest I got,” she said. Annet’s story is not uncommon. Often, ultra-poor farming communities struggle with low yields due to inferior seeds, outdated farming techniques and rising fertilizer costs. However, things gradually changed for Anette when her village partnered with Raising The Village (RTV) to sustainably improve agricultural income. 

She enrolled in training sessions on Good Agronomic Practices (GAP) – a series of comprehensive training to equip last-mile farming communities with modern skills and knowledge on improved farming techniques. The sessions covered various critical aspects, including preparing gardens and farms effectively for the planting season, optimizing crop spacing for higher yields, and preparing organic fertilizers to enhance crop growth. Additionally, Annet received good-quality seeds for seasonal crops such as maize, beans, and Irish potatoes. These improved seeds were selected for their climate resilience, yield potential, and adaptability to the local climate and soil conditions. Annet soon started seeing better results with the new techniques and inputs.

Annet sorting potatoes from her bumper harvest this year.

Annet has now significantly increased her farm output. This year’s harvest brought her five bags of Irish potatoes and 72 kilograms of beans. Encouraged by the increased income and financial literacy training, she participated in her community’s Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) to pool savings and access affordable credit. She recently borrowed 1 million Ugandan shillings (USD271) to purchase more land for farming and is confident of paying it back after her upcoming maize harvest. 

With newfound confidence and determination, Annet feels optimistic about her family’s future. “I feel financially free, I can now pay school fees for my grandchildren, and I believe more is coming, ” she concludes.

Annet with her grandchildren and husband

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Raising The Village (RTV) partners with last-mile, rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa and develops holistic initiatives that pave the pathway out of ultra-poverty towards economic self-sufficiency within 24 months. Our programs focus on improving agricultural incomes through training and providing agricultural inputs, diversifying income streams, removing barriers to participation such as lack of access to health, water, financial inclusion, and food security, and promoting healthy behaviors including adopting healthy WASH and gender equity practices. Since 2016, we have impacted the lives of more than 665,000 people in last-mile villages in Uganda and increased household incomes and earnings by 138% in 24 months.