Wasswa’s hopes restored through agri-business

Wasswa Francis a 28-year-old is a born and a resident of Biwolobo, Lyantonde Subcounty, Lyantonde District.  Married with one child (11 months old). He was able to study up to 2017 when dropped out in his second year at the university (Muteesa I Royal University-Masaka) due to financial constraints. His parents are peasant farmers and also residents of Lyantonde Town Council.

After the university, he tried to use his academic papers to look for jobs in the field of electrical engineering e.g., in Umeme but all ended up in vain so he decided to come back to his parents’ house. Being 22 years of age, he started feeling uncomforted to stay in his parents’ home so he reverted to looking for casual work in the districts of Ntungamo and Kampala with the aim of acquiring some money to buy a plot of land and construct a house in order to leave his parents’ house.

Wasswa says “Life wasn’t easy in Kampala, I could be paid between 10,000/= and 15,000/= a day to cater for my expenses (supper, shelter and transport to work), but this wasn’t really enough for me meet my goal. I could hardly save any money due to the cost of leaving so I decided to come back to the village in 2018, this time ready to take up any opportunity in the village. I got a chance and my God father from Buyanja trusted me with his land for two seasons which I used for some small-scale seasonal crop growing (Irish potatoes, Cabbage and Maize). I also got permission from Biwolobo Sub-parish where they allowed me to do brickmaking after making for them bricks in the previous rounds.

When I left Kampala, the situation changed, yes, I could not earn daily but as it was but at least I could expect a lumpsum after three to six months from agriculture and brickmaking. My first huge amount of money (UGX. 1,500,000/=) was earned from brickmaking.

Despite the fact that I had earned some money but still this wasn’t enough for me to buy land and put up a house, when the SSF-U youth project came, this was a very big opportunity for me because it’s focus was on improving youth skills, standards of living and incomes through promoting agriculture which I had already started but lacked skills and funds to keep it going. Luckily enough I was enrolled on the project and received a number of trainings on financial literacy, good farming practices and animal rearing as well as sharing experience through my fellow youth and experienced farmers.

In November, 2019 during the exchange learning visit this is where I met a tomato farmer from Kabayanda who changed my mind about growing tomatoes. I started to seek experience with my fellow youth in tomato growing where I decided to start growing tomatoes instead of cabbages which had lost value by then. After the training and each of us selecting their agri-projects, we were introduced to small loans which I used to rent land and also buy pesticides for my crops.

Currently I use 3 acres of land which I rent at 150,000/= each with in a year for growing tomatoes, beans and Irish potatoes at a larger scale. I have been able to acquire a plot of land (3 quarters of an acre) in Kamulaba-Rakai district where I shifted my tomato and eucalyptus tree growing project due to availability of water. I have acquired enough skills in agriculture enabling me to also start a piggery and goat project in Biwolobo where I have 2 pigs and three goats estimated at 250,000/= and 200,000/= each respectively. With a new skill in bee keeping where I except at least 70 bee hives in the next five years.

I am now happily married youth farmer who owns house and have managed to impact the lives of five other fellow youth in tomato growing. On average, I have earned UGX. 12,000,000/= from agriculture (Tomatoes: 6,000,000, Maize: 4,000,000 and Irish potatoes 2,000,000/= since October 2020 which makes me no longer regret why I stopped looking for jobs and concentrate on agriculture.

I thank very much the management of Salama SHIELD Foundation (SSF) Uganda and its partners for considering the youth especially the male who were left out in Lyantonde.  My dream is to acquire land for agriculture other than renting it, own a big agri-project and create employment for my fellow youth through agriculture and bee keeping.”