Youth group investment worth UGX 1M from Agro-Tourism Association yields UGX 4M: Agro-Tourism Association and GOAL Uganda boosts youth livelihood through tailored training and access to finance
Access to finance is one of the challenges small-scale farmers face in Uganda. This hinders agricultural productivity, growth and obstructs farmers’ ability to implement sustainable practices.
According to a report by World Bank, “Unlocking Agriculture Finance” the challenges faced by farmers, particularly smallholders, in accessing necessary financial services to invest in their operations, improve productivity, and adapt to climate change, particularly in developing countries.
Agro-Tourism Association has played a role in addressing this financial gap through our loan scheme by supporting various individual youth and youth groups in Uganda. Under this arrangement, Watwero Youth Group, a youth group in Kitgum district, Northern Uganda which comprises of 26 youth, 14 male and 11 female, have greatly benefited
Members of Watwero Youth Group after one of the trainings by Agro-Tourism Association supported by GOAL Uganda. Behind is their first poultry unit
One of the members of the group, vaccinating the chics
After series of trainings in poultry management by Agro-Tourism Association supported by GOAL Uganda, the group received a loan worth UGX 1M which they invested in poultry farming, starting with 400 chicks and raising them to be sold at 1½ months old.
Their accomplishments not only generated a gross income worth UGX 4M but also inspired the neighbourhood, many youth, demonstrating that farming can be a viable and fulfilling enterprise for young people.
According to Joel Ochaya, the chairperson of the group, the group has taken tremendous progress since the support from Agro-Tourism Association. We got really practical skills in poultry business, later on received funding and currently we are supplying many markets in Northern Uganda and South Sudan. We are now saving to ensure we acquire a blooder so we can always raise our own Day Old Chics.
Delivery to clients
According to Andrew Ojok Amos, the regional manager for Agro-Tourism Association, unlike myth that some youths don’t want to engage in farming, there is quite a substantial number that is interested and engaged in agriculture. We have many groups such as Watwero spread cross Uganda who are profitably engaged in agribusiness. All we need is to continuously support them with both technical support but also financial and input assistance for them to thrive.
From the right, Joseph Taremwa (CEO Agro-Tourism Association), secretary of the Watwero Youth Group, Joseph Ochaya, the Chairperson of the Group and Andrew Amos, the regional manager for Agro-Tourism Association after the final assessment of the structured to receive Day Old Chic’s last year.