Women are making it
July 2016
Women constitute 51 percent of Uganda’s population, they earn so little yet majority of families depend on them. This does not just drag on the woman’s morale, its bad business. Advancing women’s equality could see a stronger economy with more children in school, improved businesses and the wellbeing of families boosted. One rising woman, Dr. Diana Nsubuga took the choice not to leave any one behind when she decided to expand knowledge in urban farming to women, youth and men in Kampala and Wakiso Districts in Central Uganda. Determined to become a training center, the Directorate of Industrial Training visited Integrated Health Kwagala Farm so that it could be awarded accreditation.
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I want to let you know that we scored 91 out of 100 percent: this would never have happened without AVSI’s SKY project. AVSI has shaped a possibility for me and my women – Dr. Diana Nsubuga.
In July 2017, the center attracted Hon. Janet Museveni. The First Lady had an engagement with Viola Musisi, a SKY project beneficiary when Viola exhibited her products and shared her experience of the training opportunity she received from AVSI Foundation. The farm with six enterprises on 65 decimals of land now plans to invest in hostel facilities to enable participants from distant areas gain access to training at the center. It targets youth including young mothers and women. Kwagala is a real example of individual growth begetting institutional change for the benefit of society. Now more than ever, the youth and women we met at the farm are poised to shine and own enterprises. In February 2017, AVSI Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kwagala Farm to skill 180 youth in urban farming. 32 youths graduated in May 2017. Through this partnership, AVSI’s SKY project is facilitating the farm’s registration with the Directorate of Industrial Training in the Ministry of Education. IH-Kwagala Farm has led trainings since 2010 and over the past seven years, the program has empowered more than 700 youth and women. Activities on the farm include: vegetable, strawberry and yam farming, poultry, diary, value addition and health as a cross-cutting enterprise. Kwagala also operates a Competitive Grant Scheme (CGS) for innovators, agro-industry actors, extension agents and farmers, supported by the World Bank under National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO). Dr. Diana Nsubuga was Uganda Urban Best Farmer, 2015 and concentrates on equipping men, women and youth with skills on farming in small spaces (urban farming).