How Karenga Youth Changed Agriculture in 2024

With help from MUCOBADI and the “Young Africa Works in Uganda” project in 2024, over 700 youth have had an opportunity to turn farming into a real business, creating jobs and boosting their incomes.

MUCOBADI’s Role

MUCOBADI played a central role in this success by organizing bi-annual youth dialogues and training programs. The project, supported by the Mastercard Foundation, targeted key areas to overcome barriers to youth participation in agriculture:

• Mindset Transformation: Encouraging youth to view farming as a profitable business.
• Market Research: Teaching participants to identify market demands and set competitive prices.
• Post-Harvest Management: Reducing losses and improving storage.

Results in 2024

The project supported 34 youth groups across seven sub-counties. Key outcomes included:

• Increased participation in agricultural programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM).
• Adoption of value addition techniques for crops like maize and vegetables.
• Diversification into high-value crops and aquaculture.

Success Stories

Participants’ achievements reflect the program’s impact:

• Mary’s Vegetable Business: Mary turned her small plot into a thriving vegetable farm, supplying local markets and funding her siblings’ education.
• John’s Maize Mill: John and his group pooled resources to establish a maize grinding mill, creating a steady income for their community.

Access to Government Support

MUCOBADI helped youth access government initiatives such as:

• Parish Development Model (PDM)
• Emyooga Program
• Agricultural Mechanization Training

These programs provided additional tools and funding, enabling participants to expand their ventures.

Diversification Builds Resilience

Many youth diversified into:

• High-value crops like onions and tomatoes.
• Vegetable farming supported by dam projects.
• Aquaculture to complement crop farming.

These efforts strengthened resilience against market and climate shocks.

These successes of 2024 demonstrate the value of focused interventions. MUCOBADI’s work equips youth with the skills and confidence to lead agricultural and economic transformation in Karenga.