Stories
October 21, 2024 • 4 min read
The Buleju Youth Farmers Association was established in 2022 by Rolland Kyalikuda. At the time, the association was a small group of five young adults with big dreams. Agriculture seemed like a promising opportunity, but the Buleju Youth Farmers didn’t know where to begin.
Life for Young Adults in Uganda
In Uganda, 400,000 young people compete for only 9,000 jobs annually. The country has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in sub-Saharan Africa, at 13.5%. For young adults in Uganda, finding sustainable and dignified pathways out of poverty is an enormous challenge.
With their modest annual savings of about UGX 800,000 (around $212), the Buleju Youth Farmers Association decided to take a leap into maize farming by leasing five acres of land at UGX 150,000 (about $40) per acre. However, with little experience in commercial farming, the group struggled, facing inevitable losses and difficulty finding a reliable market for their meagre harvest.
“We blindly went into maize planting without the necessary knowledge, and we suffered a terrible loss. It was a tough time for us,” Rolland, the Association’s leader, recalls.
Rolland, the leader of the Bujelu Youth Farmers Association.
The Markets for Youth Programme
GOAL is implementing the Markets for Youth: Young Africa Works Programme in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. The five-year programme aims to enable 300,000 rural young women and men between 16-35 years to access dignified and fulfilling work by improving access to formal financial services.
The programme works through private sector actors, including financial institutions like banks, input and output market actors, ICT solution providers, business development service providers and formal and informal training providers to achieve the following outcomes:
- Increased access and utilisation of financial services and products.
- Increased access and utilisation of skills training information.
- Increased access and utilisation of input and output markets.
- Amplified youth voice and engagement.
Members of the Buleju Youth Farmers Association
GOAL’s Markets for Youth programme connected the Buleju Youth Farmers Association with Equity Bank and Yield Harvest, an off-taking company. Equity Bank provided financial literacy training, helping the group understand loan processing and management, while Yield Harvest supplied them with high-quality, affordable seeds and guided them through best farming practices, such as staggered planting and irrigation. Yield Harvest also committed to buying their produce at a price higher than the market rate.
Staggered planting — dividing a plot of land into sections and planting in phases — proved to be a game-changer. This method allowed continuous harvesting throughout the season, and reduced labour pressures.
Staggered planting is also an effective climate change adaptation. This approach to farming uses water more efficiently, reduces erosion and soil degradation, and lowers the risk of famers losing their entire crop to a single extreme weather event,
In 2023, armed with new knowledge and support, the group secured a loan of UGX 7,000,000 (around $1,800) from Equity Bank. They used the funds to lease 20 acres of land, expanding their operations to include maize, groundnuts, cassava, onions, and sunflowers. They also ventured into livestock, starting with 20 goats.
Last year, the Bujelu Youth Farmers Association used their profits to branch into livestock.
Transforming Lives Through Agriculture
So far, the association has harvested and sold produce worth UGX 20,095,750 (around $5,200) to Yield Harvest. From these earnings, the group has paid UGX 3,000,000 (around $1,000) of the loan, reinvested a portion of the profits, and distributed UGX 1,000,000 (around $300) to each member.
The goat project has also flourished. From an initial 20 goats, the herd has grown to 215. With each goat selling for about UGX 250,000 (around $66), the group expects to earn over UGX 53,750,000 (around $14,139) by December 2024.
“Agriculture has greatly increased our incomes; most of us have constructed permanent houses, have personal development projects, and have bettered the lives of our families,” Rolland says, proudly.
Over 261,000 Markets for Youth participants have secured dignified and fulfilling work, 53% of whom are women
The group’s success has not gone unnoticed. They’ve grown from five members to 15, including six women and nine men. One of the newest members, Akugizibwe Patrick, said: “I used to be idle in the village, but now I’m always busy on the farm and able to take care of my needs.”
Rolland credits their achievements to teamwork and careful planning. The group holds pre-seasonal, seasonal, and annual planning meetings to strategise and encourages members to involve their spouses in farming.
Looking ahead, the Buleju Youth Farmers Association plans to diversify further into apiary, piggery, and poultry farming. Their story is a powerful testament to the strength of unity and resilience – and the transformative power of agriculture for young adults in Uganda.
Today, over 261,000 Markets for Youth participants have secured dignified and fulfilling work, 53% of whom are women. Learn more about the Markets for Youth programme.
