Against All Odds

Pamela tending to her farm in Rubanda.

Two years ago, Pamela participated in training sessions on modern farming practices to improve yields on her small farm. She set a goal to buy more farmland to increase her income and provide a better life for her children – a goal she not only achieved but did so against all odds.

A farmer, entrepreneur, artisan, and hairstylist – Pamela has worn many hats. Not long ago, she faced unexpected challenges when she became the sole caretaker and provider for her four children. With less than an acre of farmland, consistently low yields, and no other stable source of food or income, Pamela moved into action to find – and create – opportunities for herself. “The land was too small to even feed the family, and farming alone became challenging for me. At one point, I started to plait people’s hair to make some income,” she had shared in 2022. But through her will and perseverance, Pamela overcame those challenges.

Pamela in 2022, showing the handmade bags she sold in her community and using the dish drying rack she constructed.

In 2022, she began applying what she had learned about using organic fertilizers, pesticides, good-quality seeds, and care practices. Pamela joined the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) established in her community and also started selling handmade baskets, handbags, and necklaces to community members. The results were soon visible. She also implemented hygiene practices discussed in RTV sessions and established tippy taps for handwashing, an enclosed toilet with a cover and a door, and started using a dish rack with proper drainage. With access to knowledge, good-quality inputs, and reduced barriers, she soon witnessed positive results.

Pamela tending to her pigs.

Pamela experienced improving yield and income, saved what she could in her VSLA, and bought 1.5 acres of land for UGX3,400,000 in December 2023. “After RTV taught us better agricultural techniques, I cultivated Irish potatoes and beans on my small piece of land and got excellent yields. I used the money from selling my harvest and savings to buy more land for cultivation. I have made over three good harvests from my land over the last three seasons,” Pamela says proudly. Through her VSLA, she also invested in livestock and has since successfully increased the herd size. “I received a sheep from our joint VSLA. The sheep produced and multiplied over time. I also bought a pig from a loan obtained from the VSLA and a cow from a part of my income. The pig has produced over thirteen piglets so far, some of which I sold,” she adds further. Additionally, with her weaving and bag-making business thriving, she now supplies her product to a bigger market in Kabale.

Pamela is happy that she has provided well for her children. “I have been able to pay school fees for my children and provide them with all necessities,” she says. Building on her success, Pamela plans to continue investing and expanding her agriculture, bag-making business, and livestock activities.

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Pamela with her children outside their home in Rubanda

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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.