Previous project
Inclusive Recycling Ambassadors

Next project
Transforming Tomorrow through VTI Excellence

Youth with modern Agriculture mission

Empowering youth through climate-smart agriculture training, demo sites, and market access to create sustainable livelihoods in farming.

Municipality

UG
Ngora, Uganda del este,

Category / Sub-Category / Topic

Economic development, Labor

Type of investment needed

Grant

Associated SDGs

The challenge

64-70% of youth in Uganda are unemployed, with 400,000 youth entering the job market yearly to compete for just 9,000 public service jobs.

The project

The Youth with Climate-Smart Agriculture Mission seeks to transform subsistence farming into profitable enterprises, empowering youth to generate income through involvement in climate-smart agriculture. This is achieved through targeted training programs in collaboration with the District Community Development Office, development partners, and well-established private farms in Ngora, providing youth with hands-on skills, attachments, and mentorship.

The initiative aims to establish an integrated production and marketplace where key stakeholders—including families, produce aggregators, processors, and distributors—actively participate and collaborate.

Key focus areas include:

  • Raising awareness about the benefits of climate-smart agriculture to encourage youth participation.
  • Training 100 youth in horticultural enterprises as part of the pilot project.
  • Setting up demonstration learning sites to facilitate hands-on training in climate-smart agriculture.
  • Developing market access opportunities for youth to sell their agricultural products.

This initiative ultimately aims to equip young people with the skills and resources needed to create sustainable livelihoods in agriculture.

Know more...

Ngora District, located in Eastern Uganda, features a predominantly flat landscape with gentle undulations, characteristic of the Teso sub-region. This topography, coupled with fertile soils, supports the district's primary economic activity: subsistence agriculture. The favorable climatic conditions, including adequate rainfall and suitable temperatures, further enhance agricultural productivity. However, despite these natural advantages, the economic status of most residents leans towards poverty. Ngora, situated within the Eastern region,is identified as one of Uganda's poorer regions.

The Eastern Region has experienced challenges related to employment, particularly among the youth. Factors such as limited industrial development and reliance on subsistence agriculture contribute to employment challenges. Thousands of young people enter the job market but are faced with limited opportunities. This has led to increased poverty as many struggle to earn a livelihood, rising crime rates due to desperation and lack of income, a growing brain drain as skilled youth seek opportunities abroad, reduced social cohesion and increased dependency.

This has been greatly caused by mismatch between education and market demands, where graduates lack the practical skills needed for available jobs, a slow-growing economy that fails to generate sufficient employment opportunities, and limited access to capital, preventing young entrepreneurs from starting businesses.

  • Establishing 4 demonstration farms & Training 100 youth in climate-smart agriculture -black soldier fly farming, beekeeping, horticulture, and tree nursery management- while providing start-up kits to support their agricultural enterprises.
  • Enhancing market access for youth in climate-smart agriculture by training 100 participants in market skills, packaging, branding, and e-commerce while securing 30 partnerships with buyers, including supermarkets, restaurants, wholesalers, schools, and industries, to purchase Black Soldier Fly larvae, honey, horticultural produce, tree seedlings, and other value-added products.
  • Awareness creation on the benefits of youth involvement in climate-smart agriculture through holding 5 community workshops with hands-on demonstrations, 5 radio talk shows, targeted social media campaigns, 3 field visits to successful farms for 100 youth, and the establishment of agriculture clubs in schools.

Direct Results

  • 4 climate-smart demonstration farms established (Black Soldier Fly, Bee Keeping, Horticulture, Tree Nurseries) for training and showcasing climate-smart practices
  • 100 youth trained in climate-smart agriculture practices
  • Start-up kits provided to all the 100 trained youth
  • 100 youth trained in market skills, packaging, branding, and e-commerce strategies to enhance product appeal and market access.
  • 30 partnerships established with buyers (supermarkets, restaurants, wholesalers,schools, cooperatives,industries needing organic produce etc.) to purchase Black Soldier Fly larvae, honey, horticultural produce,tree seedlings and other value-added products.
  • 5 community workshops conducted to introduce the concept of climate-smart agriculture and its potential for income generation with demonstrations on climate-smart agriculture techniques
  •  5 radio talk shows aired
  • Social media campaigns launched
  • 3 field visits organized to successful farms, with 100 youth participants
  • 3 new agriculture clubs established in schools

Expected Impact

  • Reduced youth unemployment by equipping 100 youth with agricultural and market skills, enabling at least 70% to establish sustainable agribusinesses.

  • Ngora District Local Government, https://www.ngora.go.ug/
  • Vision Terudo, https://visionterudo.org/
  • Teso Bee Organisation, https://tesofarmers.org/our-programs/ 
  • Ann Grace Akiteng, Program Coordinator (akitengann@gmail.com)
  • Ekalam Stephenx, Trainer (stepehnekalam@gmail.com)
  • Kulume Teddy, Sub County Chief of Ngora (kulumeteddy40@gmail.com)

Investment

(*): In kind/pro bonus

(**): Financing

Goods and inputs
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

20 kits (red, pupas y contenedores) (*) (**)

u$s 4889.00

u$s 167.00

u$s 4722.00

Kit inicial para colmenas (*) (**)

u$s 6944.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 6944.00

Establecimiento de 4 sitios de vivero (*) (**)

u$s 5555.56

u$s 416.67

u$s 5138.89

Kit inicial para 20 participantes en horticultura @500,000 (*) (**)

u$s 4166.67

u$s 0.00

u$s 4166.67

Kit para apoyo (*) (**)

u$s 5694.44

u$s 55.56

u$s 5638.88

Establecer 4 sitios demostrativos de agricultura inteligente ante el clima (*) (**)

u$s 2916.67

u$s 277.78

u$s 2638.89

Materiales IEC (*) (**)

u$s 416.67

u$s 97.22

u$s 319.45

Services
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Entrenamiento en cría de moscas soldado negro (*) (**)

u$s 250.00

u$s 27.78

u$s 222.22

Apicultura (*) (**)

u$s 291.67

u$s 27.78

u$s 263.89

Honorarios de capacitadores para entrenamiento en manejo de viveros (*) (**)

u$s 416.67

u$s 138.89

u$s 277.78

Honorarios de capacitadores para entrenamiento en horticultura (*) (**)

u$s 416.67

u$s 138.89

u$s 277.78

Capacitación en manufacturas (*) (**)

u$s 555.56

u$s 0.00

u$s 555.56

Capacitación en marketing digital (*) (**)

u$s 416.67

u$s 0.00

u$s 416.67

Human resources
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Coordinación (equipo) (*) (**)

u$s 3333.33

u$s 0.00

u$s 3333.33

Others
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Movilización de jóvenes (*)

u$s 97.00

u$s 97.00

u$s 0.00

Participación en feria agrícola (*) (**)

u$s 1111.11

u$s 277.78

u$s 833.33

TOTAL AMOUNTS:

u$s 37471.69

u$s 1722.35

u$s 35749.34

Spread the word about this project