Seed Programs International’s primary focus is nutrition and agriculture, but they also support program components that ensure women have access to resources that support livelihoods. Those components can include skills training, farming supplies and inputs, and access to expertise from local leaders who support the entire supply chain from seed delivery to harvest and market access. SPI relies upon local partners who are already familiar with each community to ensure that programs are offered in ways that are accessible to community members. In Uganda, Toil and Promote Agriculture (TAPA), SPI’s local partner, does just that.
Nathan Rwabulemba, TAPA’s Executive Director, believes they can work with local folks to co-create prosperous rural communities through agricultural production and socioeconomic interventions. He recently shared the following update about their partnership program in the Kyegegwa district of Uganda.
“TAPA has supported individual women and women’s groups in economic strengthening since the inception of the organisation. We reach women by mobilizing and organising the formation of Village Saving and Loaning Associations (VS&LA), supporting women with domestic animals for income generation, and supporting backyard gardens and small farms run by women.
Our main goal is to improve the nutrition of children and families, and to reduce gender-based violence against women. Most of these women are caretakers for HIV/AIDS orphans that have been ostracised by their communities. These women are all recipients of SPI seeds. The seeds and the training provided by TAPA agronomists have improved many lives and livelihoods.
We support orphans and other vulnerable children and their families through approaches that address their livelihood, mainly through vegetable gardening. We also provide agricultural training alongside other training topics, like child protection and rights, the rights of their caregivers, plus sensitisation and mobilisation activities to improve incomes for households with marginalised and vulnerable people. In addition, TAPA is providing psychosocial support, offering comprehensive social and health care, and restoring hope to sections of the community who are hard-hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Kyegegwa District.
TAPA is also implementing an education improvement project guided by integrated community-based strategies; and by building structures for teaching and learning to take place amidst realistic and motivating socio-community environments. Some school structures have been set up, although the buildings are not large enough to meet the desired targets.
TAPA is currently working in Kyegegwa district with 9 sub-counties, 42 parishes, and 551 villages. The increase in SPI seeds for us will allow us to reach more people than we have in the past years. Thank you for your support and caring about the people of Kyegegwa.”
Your support though Sweet Blossom Gifts’ Women’s Empowerment Program helps SPI and TAPA reach this marginalized community of people in Uganda. Thank you.
Women's empowerment initiative 