Improving livelihoods through community groups

Jese’s strides to empower farmers through Agriculture and enterprise development.

Impact story 1: Leveraging on collective efforts for better markets- the story of Kyamaiba Farmers Group in Kicwamba.

Kitumbi Kyamaiba Marketing Association is located in Kyamaiba village, Mbale Parish, Kicwamba Sub-County, Kabarole district. The association consists of 6 Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) groups and has 180 members in total. Their main activity is marketing agricultural produce like matooke.

Before the Mpanga Super Farmer’s program (MSFP) started, farmers were not united. Every farmer was on their own, and produce would perish due to limited markets. In 2023, when the MSFP started, farmers were trained on agriculture best practices, and encouraged each household to create an integrated Farm Plan, a process that involves all the household members.

The farmers who initially sold their produce on an individual basis were encouraged to form groups, and the Association has been supporting them in marketing their produce, creating a shift in sales. They reduced the middleman dependency syndrome that caused delays, leading to loss of produce.

“Before JESE came, farmers used to sell alone and sometimes did not have a market.  In 2024, we developed a plan to form an association that helps market our produce. Shared Alex Allelliau, Member of the association.

According to Mwesige Richard Tuhaise, the Association Chairman, Jese even supported 70%, while the group provided 30% of the capital used to procure a tricycle used to deliver produce to the market, thus easing transportation of their produce to the collection center.

“The tricycle is also a source of income for us. Our farmers faced a problem of high transportation costs for their produce. ” Mwesige noted. The purchase of a tricycle (Tuku tuku) has solved this problem. He added.

The Association has generated income to the tune of 1.8M UGX, generated by the tricycle, and expects it to increase to 7mUGX by the end of the year. Additionally, the Association has opened another account from the sales made to a tune of over 400mUGX.

Key to note are the improved agriculture practices through exchange visits, zero grazing, poultry, piggery, the shade constructed as a collection centre, where farmers deliver produce to be sold. Increase in household income, enabling parents to pay school fees to their children in the schools of their choosing, and the ability to produce organic pesticides that are environmentally friendly.

The members of Kitumbi Kyamaiba are not thriving alone, they continue to share their skills and knowledge with the rest of the community members who are not part of the Association, ensuring that every household is fed.