Farmers' Group Creates Opportunity for Success

In 2003 Perepertwa Bukenya founded the Balirorraho farmers’ group, which worked with ACDI/VOCA through a USAID-funded Title II PL 480 food distribution program that reached 180,000 people in poor, rural communities. Locally called “KYAWDA,” the food program distributed commodities to support orphans, vulnerable children and people living with HIV/AIDS, and also increased agricultural development and marketing.

In 2003 Ms. Bukenya cultivated about half an acre of land per season and cared for nine children and some grandchildren. In 2006 Ms. Bukenya planted four acres in a season. She says, “Three seasons back I planted … onions, which I sold and bought a motorcycle Yamaha second hand. I used some money to pay school fees for my children and reinvested the balance in farming in preparation for the following season. I grew maize and got good yields with the help of the improved seeds you give us and modern farming practices and indeed my family has been food secure for the last three years. I stopped going to the market to buy beans for sauce since KYAWDA came, instead I sell it to others.” Ms. Bukenya has also invested in animal rearing and, as of November 2006, had six pigs and a cow.

She said, “I praise KYAWDA for the knowledge and skills I got, especially in agronomy, nutrition, farming as a business and post-harvest handling and marketing. I feel proud and I use this knowledge on my farm, family and above all to train others. I am now a very good trainer and I have already been contracted by an organization under NAADS [the Uganda National Agricultural Advisory Services] to work as a group facilitator.”