Increase Economic Opportunities for 200 Girls

Empowerment for the Poor-Uganda has increased women’s participation in agriculture value chain by addressing gender dynamics  and some of the main factors that limit women from benefiting in agriculture value chains like lack of access to credit, social norms and lack of access to land.With women accounting for 43% of the agriculture workforce in Uganda,  they do not receive a proportional amount of extension and other help; nor do they receive benefits proportional to their labor due to these constraints.

In this project, we started  by  carrying  out  a value chain analysis  which involved collecting information about entities (e.g., businesses, farmer groups, households or producer associations) and market connections that make up a given value chain. The information gathered  clarified positions and roles of actors within the chain which was  used to better coordinate chain activities and improve the flow of products to end-users.   As a result, costs  reduced and product quality improved.  In turn, smallholder farmers benefited from a well-functioning value chain.  This gender value chain analysis  therefore created  an environment in which women and men can fully participate in and benefit from market opportunities.

We also conducted trainings for women and men to carry out farming as a family and as business where we  to addressed gender dynamics that streamline men’s and women’s roles and responsibilities in the agricultural cycle and about ownership and control of resources.(e.g. money, land and animals etc)  as well as teaching general business concepts which  included household budgeting and marketing, agricultural production and  family life  which  improved overall family food security , incomes and family health to 36 women homes. Building relationships and participation in the family is a very important variable for change and economic growth. After realizing that there is health interaction and greater involvement of women and men in farming as a family, the project gave 5 women agricultural mini credits  women  .The project also provided  3 young mothers who have been chased from school due to pregnancy with an opportunity to pursue an education that enabled them to support their child as well as empowering women with family planning, birth control, child health and nutrition, prevention of STIs, gender-based violence, women and child rights, child protection, life skills and decision-making