After embracing block farming, many women in Serere District are now able to own livestock, land, and other valuable assets.
One of the beneficiaries, Ms Joyce Mary Ariokot, the chairperson of Omunyolo Women’s Group, says their yields and earnings have improved. ‘We managed to harvest 19 bags of millet from three acres of land last season. We are waiting to sell it when prices go up,’ Ms Ariokot adds.
After selling the harvest, each member receives her share of the money, which she then invests in ventures of her choice.
Many of the women opt to buy livestock, which they see as a dependable way to improve their livelihoods because animals can be sold to meet needs such as school fees and medical bills.
The women are engaging in block farming with support from Women and Girls Rights Advocacy Uganda (WAGRAU), a non-profit organisation. Ms Joyce Mary Adeke, a mother of six, says she now owns three sheep.
‘We were taught how to care for our livestock by WAGRAU, so they are doing well. It has really changed our lives. I am now able to own something I couldn’t even imagine 10 years ago,’ she says.
Ms Lillian Ayodo, a widow, says the first pig she owned helped her expand her crop production.
‘I used the first litter of seven piglets from my pig to hire two acres of land. I grew simsim in the first season and millet in the second. My pig gave birth again in June to seven piglets, and I sold six of them at Shs60,000 each,’ Ms Ayodo says.
Meanwhile, Ms Laker Akello, another group chairperson, says they harvested 15 bags of ground nuts from the two gardens that were hired for them.
She adds that they spent Shs100,000 to hire land for brick-making, which earned them Shs1.2m in return.
Beyond farming and livestock investment, the women meet weekly to save money. They gather at the treasurer’s home, each contributing between Shs1,000 and Shs2,000 depending on capacity.
The group also offers loans to members, which are repaid within an agreed period.
Ms Deborah Akello, the executive director of WAGRAU, says their model involves supporting farmers by hiring gardens, ploughing land, buying seeds, and providing markets for produce, while the women handle planting, weeding, and harvesting.
She adds that this model challenges norms and practices that historically prevented women from profiting from their own labour.
‘After the sale of crops, the women meet as a group to divide earnings. We support them in making informed investment decisions,’ she says.
The women’s groups were established at different times. Omunyolo and Amureme started in 2023, while Aima, Ojepai, Okulonyo, and Akonyakinai began in 2025.