Hildah Turyamusiima’s story

Hildah Turyamusiima, a coffee farmer, mother, and cooperative leader from the Kanungu District in Uganda, is helping more women and young people benefit from coffee farming.

Farming has always been a part of coffee grower Hildah’s life.

“I like farming. My parents are farmers – it’s the business we are in and I love it so much,” she says.

For many years, however, coffee in Kanungu was viewed largely as a man’s crop, and women did not benefit fairly from the income it generated. Young people and women often struggled to access land.

In Uganda, land is typically controlled by the eldest man in the family, and older men are often reluctant to give women or younger men access to land.

“Natively, coffee has been predominantly a man’s crop and us women were not benefitting,” Hildah explains.

This began to change when Farm Africa started working with local farmer groups in the area.

As well as working with farmers to improve their farming practices to increase the quantity and quality of coffee grown, Farm Africa has established the Kanungu chapter of the Uganda Young Farmers’ Association and is supporting men and families to create voluntary land-use agreements.

These agreements give young people and women access to land to grow coffee for an agreed period and extension officers provide guidance on proper planting and crop management.

At the same time, we supported more women to step into leadership roles in cooperatives and committees, including Hildah, who now serves as treasurer of the Banyakinkizi Coffee Producers and Processors Cooperative.

Farm Africa worked with cooperatives in Kanungu to develop financial and business management skills, connect farmers with new buyers and set up micro-washing stations, which add value to Arabica coffee varieties.

Hildah and her husband, Francis, with their soulmate vision board (a plan of how they will work together to reach their shared goals).

“Now there has been leadership of women on boards and committees, where these women have been acting as examples to other women,” she explains.

Alongside improved farming, Hildah has joined a Village Savings and Loan Association introduced by Farm Africa. She is saving to buy bricks to build a family home.

“My goal is to build a family house with my husband with the savings from our coffee sales,” she says. The family also hopes to sell their coffee directly to exporters in future to secure better prices.

Reflecting on the changes, Hildah is proud of how far her community has come.

Hildah speaking at her cooperative.

Hildah took part in Farm Africa coffee projects funded by the European Union and UK aid from the UK government.

All photos: Farm Africa / Jjumba Martin