Growing confidence, growing income

Today, Robinah manages farming, livestock, and grain trading as the head of her household in a remote village in Kagadi District. Since her husband died in 2018, she has supported her four children, two of whom are still in school. Before participating in Raising The Village’s community training sessions in 2023, low agricultural production and limited access to affordable credit made it difficult to grow her income beyond each season. Through improved farming practices, livestock management training, and VSLA participation, Robinah has strengthened her household income, expanded her livelihood activities, and built greater confidence as a community leader.

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Robinah grows coffee, bananas, maize, beans, groundnuts, fruits, and vegetables, and also keeps pigs and goats. Farming has long been central to how she supports her household. After attending technical training sessions, she started applying improved farming practices and began to see stronger harvests for both household food and sale. “Ever since I started practicing improved farming practices, such as using organic fertilizers, my agricultural production has increased. I now get higher harvests for selling and food for my family,” Robinah says.  

With better yields, her income became more stable, allowing her to plan beyond immediate household needs and invest in new economic opportunities such as livestock and small businesses. “After undergoing livestock management training, I collected some money and set up an improved animal shelter for my goats and pigs,” she says.

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Access to affordable credit through her Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) also helped Robinah expand into grain trading and create another income stream for her household. “I borrowed UGX 1,700,000 from the Joint VSLA and bulk-stocked maize, beans, and groundnuts. I normally stock the grains and wait for a favorable market, and sell them at a higher price,” she says.

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Robinah’s progress has also strengthened her role in the community. She now serves as Chairperson of her Joint VSLA. Through this role, she has built trust, strengthened her social network, and gained greater confidence in her leadership. “I am the Chairperson of our Joint VSLA, and I lead a group of 35 members. I have earned respect and trust from group members, especially men, and gained social capital and friends,” she says. Robinah has also made larger investments for the future. She recently purchased a piece of land for UGX 3,000,000 and plans to construct a trading store on it.

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