Together We Can! - World Renew

(UGANDA) Clement is one of the 30 community facilitators whom KIDO, with support from World Renew Uganda and FRB, has trained since 2013. Clement works in one of the six communities where World Renew supports improving livelihood programs for people affected by natural disasters and war

By practicing conservation farming and participating in the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), Clement has seen his family on the path of transformation. His two wives, Iseru Janet and Sarah, are also members of the VSLA, where the three save money every week. Clement is a polygamist, and between him and his two wives they have 13 children. For Clement, joining the Ekeunos farmers group in 2012 was one of the best things that ever happened to him. Keeping a large family is not easy.

“We have embraced the use of these practices, for we have seen with our own eyes how it has changed our family food situation, income, and life.”

He shared, “Life was very hard, and we relied on only one meal a day and very little income.” But all that changed in 2012, when PAG KIDO started work in his community. Families received training on conservation farming, learning new and simple approaches on improving soil fertility and addressing the challenges of the rapidly changing climate. They also received training in VSLAs to help them learn to save and invest.

This is Clement's testimony: “Through the Participatory Evaluation Process we were able to come up with our own family action plan to guide us on how to solve our problems. And in our plan we focused on horticulture, adopting modern farming practices and savings. This has changed us! In the year 2013 we made mulch and were able to use organic manure in our ‘conservation farming’ tomato garden. This earned us 1.5 million shillings (about US$410), and we used that for purchasing a cow, which has calved twice so far.”

For Clement's household income, this was quite a lot of money—they had never earned even half that amount in just a single harvest. In 2014, Clement put to practice other conservation farming techniques in his gardening, and these have not disappointed him— the yields have been a lot more than he expected. With a satisfied look on his face, Clement ends his testimony with these words: “We have embraced the use of these practices, for we have seen with our own eyes how it has changed our family food situation, income, and life.”

Clement’s wife Iseru shares her gratitude by saying: “As a family, we thank PAG/KIDO and World Renew. Your interventions made our family known in Olungura village and beyond. Our husband currently is serving as a community resource person in an ongoing program, and he is very resourceful to not only our family but also many members of the community, even those not directly involved in the program.”

May God continue to bless you all!