Challenge
Agriculture employs 72 percent of the work force in Uganda but accounts for less than one-quarter of national GDP. Many farmers—particularly women—work on very small plots of land, and lack the training and equipment to generate significant income. The widespread lack of electricity in rural areas compounds these challenges.
Solution and Impact
A loan guaranty enabled Edward Munaaba to borrow $10,500 from a local bank in the Jinja district to install solar panels in his nine-acre community farm, introducing electricity to the village for the first time ever. The addition of electricity has supported cold storage, submersible solar pumps for irrigation, and training for farmers in the community.
The Munaaba farm teaches local farmers techniques for organic farming, mulching and irrigation so they can protect against drought, heavy rains, and invasive pests. Subsistence farmers have been able to improve their yields and develop new products like herbal remedies, and have used the increased income to invest in their families and pay school fees for their children. The Munaaba farm also hosts local students to use the solar light for studying after dark.