From Uganda, with thanks

The agronomist Betty Napeyok has spent the last year working with Farm Africa and CARE International’s CASCADE project in Uganda.

In this staff spotlight we spoke to Betty about her work helping rural women in four districts in Karamoja grow a variety of nutritious foods, learn about healthy eating, and improve their families’ diets.

Betty, what is your job like?

My main role is forming farmers’ groups – I work with 100 groups, which is around 3,000 farmers. We use the “farmer field” approach: we set up a demo site, and train three groups there. We cover climate-smart agriculture, post-harvest handling and nutrition.

We focus on vegetables – especially dark green ones – and crops which give you iron: orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, iron-rich beans and orange maize. We make sure farmers learn how to grow them because the project is fighting malnutrition in Karamoja.

Rather than just giving hand-outs, we help people grow their own.

What are some of the biggest impacts you’ve seen while working with Farm Africa?

For me, the biggest impact is the reduction in malnutrition among children. When families eat enough vegetables like iron-rich beans and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, malnutrition rates drop. In more and more parishes I work in, there’s no longer a need for supplementary feeding programmes for malnourished children.

Betty Napeyok holding a platter of iron-rich beans grown by a farmers group working with Farm Africa in Karamoja.

When women grow vegetables within their backyard gardens, it is easy for them to pick it and eat it or sell it to earn money to buy other food like chicken or eggs.

What changes have you seen in gender roles?

We bring in gender practices. We encourage women to participate. Mostly in Karamoja, you find it’s women who do the heavy work. We empower men and women to work together.

The activities which a man can do, even a woman can do. You find all the work is shared within the family roles.

The women are more confident now. There are many women in the field who own their own plots and now no longer depend on men. They are able to buy and contribute to their family rather than waiting for what a man brings in. They’re able to pay school fees for their kids. They are even leaders in their groups. Some are treasurers.

What is your favourite part of your job?

I love the practical work. When I see crops thriving and helping the community, I’m so happy. Seeing demo sites do well – and knowing people are eating and selling what they grow – that’s the part I enjoy most.

Betty Napeyok at a vegetable growing demo plot belonging to the Naukoi Riverside Farm Group in Karamoja.

What are some challenges you have faced and how have you overcome them?

The biggest challenge farmers face in Karamoja are dry spells. We only have one rainy season and once this comes and goes, there’s no rain again. This affects the growing crops – they burn in the sunshine.

We train farmers groups on climate-smart agricultural practices whereby they plant their vegetables in ridges, because when it is the hot season those vegetables are able to retain water and will not dry up.

A demonstration plot where vegetables are planted on ridges.

Thanks to Farm Africa’s support installing micro-irrigation systems, we have also been able to equip four locations with irrigation. This means water is available to grow vegetables all year round.

The second biggest challenge is the seeds. Most of the seeds are expensive, so if you’re a smallholder farmer, it is not easy to buy them at that rate. But now that farmers have been able to earn more money from selling vegetables, they can go and buy seeds from nearby input shops.

If you could share a message with Farm Africa supporters, what would it be?

I’m sending big thanks to Farm Africa supporters in the UK. The communities I work with really appreciate your support.