A Confident Entrepreneur

A family of three stands in front of a small, single-story house with a corrugated metal roof and plastered walls. The woman, man, and young child are positioned in front of the doorway, with the woman wearing a patterned wrap skirt and the man in a yellow t-shirt. The child stands between them, holding the man's leg. The house has two shuttered windows and is surrounded by lush greenery, including tall banana plants and trees.
Busobozi with his wife, Turinawe, and their child in Kyenjojo

Busobozi, a 29-year-old farmer, lives with his wife and child in a remote village in Kyenjojo. Looking back, he recalls how life was very different until two years ago. “Earlier, the community members would live independently. We did not have savings groups or associations. Even if someone wanted to start a business, we did not know how to do so,” he shares. Growing crops such as maize, banana, coffee, and beans, Busobozi was dependent on subsistence farming to provide for his family. But like most community members, he experienced low yields and inconsistent income. 

When his community partnered with RTV in 2023 as part of the “From Last Mile Into Possibilities” (FLIP) project, supported by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Busobozi actively participated in the project. While technical training sessions on modern farming introduced him to productive techniques, sessions on financial literacy and forming savings groups presented an opportunity to diversify his income.“I underwent financial literacy and mindset change training, and ever since then, my life has changed. I joined the Youth VSLA, where I started saving money weekly. I was also elected the chairperson of the VSLA by my fellow youth, and this greatly improved my leadership skills,” shared Busobozi. 

A woman smiles as she washes dishes at a wooden dish rack outside a traditional mud and stick house with a thatched roof. She is dressed in a blue-collared T-shirt and a patterned wrap skirt. The dish rack holds several colorful plastic cups and bowls, along with two large black cooking pots. The setting is lush and rural, with green banana plants and hedges in the background.
Turinawe using a drying dish rack as a better hygiene practice.

Realizing that brickmaking was a lucrative business, he procured a loan from his VSLA and started a brickmaking business of his own. I borrowed UGX 300,000 from the VSLA to begin my first brick production, and I have so far done four seasons of brick making. I make over 10,000 bricks every season and earn roughly UGX 1,500,000 from the bricks in a single season of three to four months.” he said. Busobozi also started making organic pesticides and manure for his crops, and experienced better harvests. “I learned how to make organic manure and pesticides, and ever since I started applying them to my crops, there has been a great improvement in my crop yields,” he says.

A man wearing a yellow T-shirt closely examines a branch of a coffee plant bearing red and green coffee cherries. He is standing amidst lush greenery, surrounded by healthy coffee plants with broad green leaves. The setting appears to be a thriving coffee farm, with the man gently holding the branch and observing the ripening fruit.
Busobozi tending to his coffee plants.

Busozbozi’s improved income has allowed him to provide a better life for his wife and child. He is constructing a new, better home and plans to complete it by next year. Additionally, after providing for his family’s needs, he saves his surplus income in his VSLA. But he is not done yet. As a confident entrepreneur, Busobozi has bigger plans for the future. 

He plans to invest further in her farms and also train fellow youth in his community on accessing livelihood opportunities. “I plan to purchase irrigation equipment so that my crops are not affected by the excess heat,” he shared. Busobozi’s journey exemplifies how access to training, financial tools, and community support can help individuals create a more sustainable and economically secure future. 

The new home Busobozi is constructing with his improved income and savings.

Be part of our journey. Support last-mile communities by supporting Raising The Village. 

Let’s Stay Connected

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 1.3 million people in last-mile villages in Uganda.