We connect farmers with local groups and cooperatives where they can share their knowledge and access finance to grow their businesses.
Youth make up over 70% of Uganda’s population, but they face high levels of unemployment. Many Ugandans rely on agriculture to make their living, but farming practices and environmental degradation are major obstacles to successful businesses.
Heifer International started working in Uganda in 1982. What began as a small project distributing a handful of cows, has expanded into one of Uganda’s leading agricultural and community development organizations.
We work closely with communities and invest in local capacity, knowledge transfer, appropriate technology and farming capital such as livestock and other agricultural inputs.
Working with a network of partners, we mobilize farmers and help them connect into cooperatives to share knowledge and access financial services. Our work focuses on the dairy, poultry, swine, cereals, and oil seeds value chains, integrated with climate-smart technology.
More than 932,000 families supported by our work.
We value the critical role of women in the fight to end hunger, and use gender equity training to support women to become asset holders and community leaders.
Small, women-led farms that diversify crops and increase productivity help create food-secure communities. And agroecological practices such as better water, waste management and renewable energy help farmers build resilience against climate change.
Uganda and Tanzania are both part of the East Africa Youth Inclusion Program, a flagship project with our partner the MasterCard Foundation. The project works to deliver sustainable livelihoods for 25,000 youth, through vocational skill-building and enterprise development.
Heifer Uganda decided to conduct a deeper study to understand the effects of COVID-19 on targeted participants, including youth, farmer agri-hubs and other value chain actors such as off-takers and input providers.
Download About Uganda Covid-19 Impact Study ReportHeifer Uganda started with boosting dairy development in the country and is now focused on building pro-poor value chains that integrate youths, women empowerment and environmental sustainability. Read more about their contribution starting on page 168.
Download About Uganda Agriculture Sector HandbookAgriculture contributes heavily to the GDP of many African countries and it employs more than half of the rural population across the continent. In places like Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia, the contribution of agriculture to the economy has created some economic growth.
Download About The Future of Africa’s Agriculture: An Assessment of the Role of Youth and Technology
Heifer works with farmers to secure a living income so they can lead dignified and prosperous lives. Learn more about what achieving a living income entails.
