Twenty-five farmers including nineteen women came together to cultivate crops in their “Bitojjo-Tukorenamani” which means “Let’s Work Hard” Farmer Field Business School. Before joining the school their harvests barely had any financial impact on their livelihood; they were mostly for home consumption. When they began receiving training in modern farming practices, their motivation grew. The USAID Graduating to Resilience Activity offers them service bundles that include seeds, training and linkages to markets.
“We were farming for a long time but it was mainly to feed our families. Proceeds coming from whatever we were able to sell helped us buy salt and other items we didn’t get from the garden” they said.
In 2018, the Activity began supporting the farmer group to practice farming as a business using good farming practices such as pest management, proper crop spacing, and soil and water conservation, alongside soil fertility management.
“I love farming, and working in this group is a beautiful experience. It will transform our lives” Jethro Abagye, a member of the group, remarks.
The “Let’s Work Hard” group recently decided to expand their venture by renting half an acre of land to practice the skills they learnt from their demonstration garden. In the first four-month season, they planted maize, and they harvested 200 kilograms which they sold for USD 55.
Motivated by the profit, they prepared their garden for a new planting season in August 2019. They raised USD 60 through their membership contributions to rent additional land to scale up their maize production.
With the support and regular business training of Elijah Turyamureeba, their Community-Based Trainer, the group harvested 1.2 tonnes of maize in February 2020, which they stored, waiting for a higher market price, and sold it two months later, generating USD 315 – a reasonable profit for the group’s expansion plans.
Driven by a great passion for commercializing their farming, the “Let’s Work Hard” members carried on with their activities even during the COVID-19 outbreak and nationwide lockdown. The farmers split into mini-groups of five to guarantee social distancing and installed a hand-washing facility in their garden. Even in a time of crisis, the clear vision and determination of the group were evident. They were strong-minded to thrive.
"Farming wasn’t restricted during the COVID-19 lockdown. We were aware of the risks and took all safety precautions as we worked on our garden to get a good yield" explains Udita Kansiime, another member of “Let’s Work Hard” group.