Food Security Uganda Project #63973

Help a Refugee Mother Feed Her Children

by Youth Initiative for Community Empowerment

Project Report | Apr 20, 2026
Standing in the sun has yied great results for me!

By Noah Ssempijja | Program Director

“I will never regret the days I spent under the hot sun at the demonstration center learning about regenerative agriculture. Those lessons truly changed my life. Today, my children eat well, and I am earning a steady income from my small garden. I can see the difference in my soil, my harvest, and in my home.” Francoise, 35.

Francoise (Fran), has live in Nakivale since 2017, with her family of 7 members. She lost her husband in the war in Congo, before she fled to Uganda. She stays in Juru, one of the zones our project targeted.

In October 2024, Fran and several other community members were mobilized by a community volunteer to form a group and join the Re-Farm project. At the time, Fran depended on a small garden that produced very little. No matter how hard she worked, the harvest was never enough to feed her family. Most days, her household survived on just one simple meal, often eaten plain and taken with water because there was nothing else to accompany it.

Her weekly income was small and unpredictable, leaving her constantly worried about how to meet her family’s basic needs. Saving for emergencies felt impossible, and each day was a struggle to make ends meet.

“The food I would get would only last three days – and I could only get cassava or sweet potatoes. I used to earn 15,000 weekly from washing clothes” Fran recalled.

Fran struggled to attend all the initial training sessions, as she often had to leave home to work in exchange for food to support her family. Despite missing several sessions, she remained determined to learn. Whenever she was unable to attend, she sought out fellow participants to walk her through what had been covered, ensuring she did not fall behind.

“At first, I wasn’t sure she would adopt the practices we were teaching because she missed several sessions,”recalls the YICE trainer. “But whenever she was present, she was fully engaged and one of the most active participants in the group.”

Fran never gave up. She applied the knowledge and skills gained from the training to establish her own regenerative garden. She began with the small plot of land allocated to her by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), carefully putting into practice the techniques she had learned.

“I realized I could make an income out of the skills I had learnt,

but the land I had was not enough. My host friends were willing to help” Fran

As her confidence and results grew, she approached a host community friend who generously allowed her to use a larger piece of land. Today, Fran has expanded her regenerative farming garden significantly. She now produces enough food to feed her household and sells the surplus to generate income.

Solutions

How Fran has benefited

42% increase in income from UGX 15,000 weekly to UGX 35,000 (from how without having to take care of her children).
Her family members eat nutritious food, two meals per day with sauce – from taking a single plain meal.
She has used part of her income to pay scholastic materials for her children, buy clothes and pay medical bills.
She has so far saved up to UGX 200,000 UGX with a goal of buying a goat.
Her chickens also multiplied. She now has 17 chickens; she sold 5 and bought a duck that has also produced 8 ducklings.
Together with her group members, she established a vegable stall in base camp where buyers easily find organic vegetables.
She trained 15 other community members to grow vegetables.

When asked about her plans for the future, Fran speaks with clarity and determination. She hopes to continue expanding her garden and growing her farming business to further improve her family’s livelihood. One of her biggest dreams is to build a permanent house roofed with iron sheets and to ensure her children complete their education. Having rebuilt her life where she is, she does not see herself returning home, as she has little hope that the conflict will end soon.

“I now have a business,” Fran says proudly. “I see my regenerative garden as my main source of income. That is why I spend most of my time here. I want to take good care of it so I can harvest more food and continue earning from it.”

When asked about market access, Fran smiles.

“When people learned that we do not use chemicals on our vegetables, they started coming to buy from us. Whenever we harvest and bring the produce for sale, it gets finished within 30 minutes to an hour. There is high demand because people know our food is grown without chemicals.”

Her garden is no longer just a source of food — it is a source of dignity, stability, and hope for the future.

Fran’s journey reflects the transformation experienced by more than 1,000 beneficiaries reached through the Re-Farm project. Her story is not an isolated success, but a powerful example of how regenerative agriculture is restoring livelihoods, strengthening food security, and rebuilding hope across the community.

Attachments:

Francoise case study (PDF)

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Dec 9, 2025
Growing Skills, Growing Futures: A Refugee-Led Agri-Club Pilot in Rwamwanja

By Noah Ssempijja | Program Director

When YICE Uganda set out to support refugee-led organizations to take the lead in regenerative farming, we hoped to spark a new level of ownership and capacity within refugee communities. This year, that hope became a reality through our partnership with AVDA Uganda, a refugee-led organization based in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement.

With technical assistance, mentorship, and a project grant from YICE Uganda, AVDA implemented a six-month Agri-Club Project in two primary schools—Kikurura and St. Paul. What started as a simple idea—to help children learn how to grow food—quickly became a powerful example of what refugee-led groups can achieve when trusted and equipped.

120 students joined the Agri-Clubs, meeting twice a week to learn regenerative farming, soil health, composting, water conservation, and tree planting. For many of these children—refugee and host-community alike—it was their first time planting a seed, caring for a garden, or watching food grow from soil they enriched themselves. Another 300 students benefited indirectly through demonstrations, school gardens, and awareness activities.

As the gardens flourished with carrots, onions, sukuma wiki, eggplants, and fruit trees, something else grew too: confidence and leadership. Students took turns managing garden teams, advising each other on plant health, and even teaching their families at home. During a “seed-to-table” event, they harvested their own vegetables, prepared a simple dish, and proudly shared it with teachers and parents—many experiencing, for the first time, the full cycle from soil to plate.

The project’s impact reached beyond the classroom. When two children with disabilities began missing school, AVDA visited their homes, learned that they felt excluded during non-learning hours, and used project resources to purchase simple inclusive play materials. The children returned to school—and returned as active members of the Agri-Clubs.

Along the way, challenges emerged: long dry spells, garden losses during school holidays, and the need for more tools and support for teachers. But AVDA didn’t face these alone—YICE Uganda provided continuous guidance, coaching on regenerative methods, and troubleshooting support. This collaboration strengthened AVDA’s operational capacity and deepened their expertise in climate-smart, hands-on agricultural education.

By the end of the six months, the evidence was clear:

Students had developed practical farming and environmental skills.
School gardens improved nutrition and supported meals for vulnerable learners.
Environmental attitudes shifted, with children proudly leading tree planting and waste recycling.
The school communities—teachers, parents, and local leaders—had become genuine partners.
And most importantly, a refugee-led organization successfully delivered a full regenerative agriculture project with measurable impact.

For YICE Uganda, this was more than a project. It was proof that investing in refugee-led organizations is not only effective—it is essential for sustainability, community ownership, and long-term resilience. AVDA’s success gives us confidence that with continued support, many more RLOs can champion regenerative agriculture, strengthen local food systems, and inspire the next generation of young farmers.

This is the story of what happens when donors place trust in communities, when refugee-led organizations are empowered with skills and resources, and when young people are given the chance to grow—not just food, but their future.

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May 26, 2025
My household has improved its food security

By Noah | Project Director

Jean has lived in Nakivale for over 5 years, and she actively participated in farming activities – growing food on her small piece of land provided to her by the Office of the Prime Minister in charge of refugees (OPM). Her only challenge was that she spent a lot of money buying chemicals, and her garden was not producing enough food for her household. She had resorted to working on farms from the host community in exchange for food.

“I love farming! When I got land from OPM, I started growing food for my children. After 3 years, the land could not produce any more food. We started starving, and so I had to go work outside the settlement for food. I would get too tired, and the food they give is always not enough. So, every week I would go work for food,” Jean recalled.

When Jean got enrolled in the Restoring Soils through a Sustainable Food Systems Approach for Refugee Communities (Re-FARM) project by YICE, she did not know things would change in a matter of months. She was introduced to regenerative farming, water harvesting and the use of organic matter – techniques that have been key to regenerating her soils. Jean’s garden became green again, and all crops were healthy. See the image below.

“With the training and support with YICE, I do not have any problem with food. My family eats at least 2 meals per day – with vegetables. Over the last 4 months, I have earned 100,000 UGX ($36) per month through the sale of food. I save at least 50,000 every month in the savings box. I no longer have to work on other people’s gardens to get what to eat.”

When asked about her future, Jean had this to say:

“With my savings, I have bought a small piece of land to expand my garden. I will continue applying the knowledge and skills learnt from YICE to grow more food and earn more income. I hope to raise enough money to pay school fees for my children.”

Jean is among 1,000 other refugees that have benefitted from YICE’s RE-farm project, funded by Doen Foundation and GlobalGiving donors. The 2-year project is being implemented in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, home to over 170,000 refugees from DRC, Burundi

Links:

Attachments:

Jeanne_final_case_study_global_giving.pdf (PDF)

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