Heifer International in collaboration with four consortium partners and in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is set to implement a five-year-long project targeting young people in Busoga region.
According to Heifer’s Country Director William Matovu, the Transformative agribusiness initiative is under Stimulating Agribusiness for Youth Employment (SAYE) project.
‘The SAYE project is implemented in a consortium with 4 other local organizations namely: Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development Ltd (CURAD), Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises (FSME), Financial Sector Deepening Uganda (FSDU), and ASIGMA Group. The goal is to improve the socio-economic well-being and resilience of 250,000 young people in the Busoga region, transitioning them into dignified and fulfilling work within agribusiness’’. He said.
‘’Eastern Uganda, particularly Busoga sub-region, presents the highest number of poor people in Uganda standing at 14% (Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) 2019/2020). The high poverty levels are attributed subsistence nature of farming, overdependence on low-value crops, and limited opportunities for income generation. Additionally, social norms, such as early marriage, especially for the girl child, influence the division of work, aspirations, expectations, and barriers to access jobs among male and female youth in the sub-region These barriers render young people, especially women, unproductive and unemployed, limiting their work to subsistence production, constraining their income and locking them in perpetual poverty. Small agri-enterprises are also limited in terms of up-scale potential, and are often less specialized, restricting their ability to effectively build reliable and profitable markets and tap into premium markets’’. He stated in an interview.
He added that the project is targeting to touch the lives of 250,000 young people aged 16-35 in the Busoga region.
‘’The target group includes young people who, Work on family farms but have no special skills, Have some skills and run small farm businesses or have regular jobs and Want to start their own farm businesses. The project aims for 70% of the participants to be young women and also includes persons with disabilities and refugee and displaced persons. The youth should live or be resident in Jinja, Mayuge, Iganga, Kamuli, Kaliro, Namutumba, Bugweri, Luuka, Buyende, Bugiri, and Namayingo districts’’. He said
How can one access the project?
The project office is located at Plot 10, Kira Road, next to Paradise Hotel in Jinja town. There are also cluster offices in Iganga (Wakoli Road, next to Brac), Bugiri (Muyenga, next to Umoja Microfinance), and Kamuli (Kyemba Sande Road). Each cluster office manages 3-4 districts.
In each district, we will work closely with local authorities, including the offices of women and youth, and local councils at the sub-county, parish, and village levels. They will have information about the project and help coordinate our efforts.
Are the services offered by the project free of charge?
All services provided by the project are free of charge. No one should ask you for money or favors to receive help, support, or services. If anyone does, please report it immediately to Flavia.Nalubega@heifer.org
How is the project being set up in the region?
Heifer international has regional office in Jinja to aid coordination across the 11 districts. We also have Cluster offices in Bugiri, Iganga and Kamuli each coordinating 3-4 districts. In each district, we have a business facilitator who works with community facilitators in collaboration with local leaders who are useful in reaching young people in the target areas.
The project will run for 5 years from October 2023 to March 2029. It offers young people various skills and support, including training in farming, business, and social skills. The project also helps them start businesses, find markets, and get access to financial services such as loans.
Young people join the project in groups. Each person gets introduced to different services and products based on their needs and goals. We assess each participant to understand what kind of support they need. This includes technical skills in farming, business skills, and help with finding markets, and access to financial services to help them get good jobs or start their businesses.
How will the Project address the market access problem?
The project partners with private companies to help create better markets for buying and selling products. Here’s how it works:
Fit for Market Needs: The project plans and delivers its activities based on what the market needs and the youth can supply.
Local Agribusiness Companies: These companies are being brought in to help sell products in selected value chains.
Building Local Capacity: The project will train local private businesses to make sure they can provide good, affordable services and products. This will help improve the livelihoods of young people.
Market Analysis: The project is studying the value chains and job markets to find the best opportunities and identify any barriers. This information will guide where to invest and how to create jobs.
Agri-Hub Platforms:
Led by Heifer: Heifer will lead the development of agri-hub platforms, using their experience in helping youth and small farmers.
Support for Small Businesses: The project will help small businesses with services like product certification, branding, and meeting standards. It will also connect them with major buyers.
How will the project address the value addition aspect?
One important lesson from Heifer past youth programs is that helping young people move from lower-paying jobs to better-paying market segments can quickly reduce income gaps and create more jobs.
The project aims to help young people move up the value chain to increase their profits and create more jobs.
Business Incubation: SAYE focuses on business incubation to support young entrepreneurs, especially young women (70%). CURAD leads this effort, aiming to create jobs over five years based on their experience.
Incubation Centers: These centers provide practical training in technical and business skills, such as product development, quality standards, business registration, branding, and marketing.
Value Addition: The project emphasizes adding value to products at agri-hubs to make them more profitable and attract better markets.
