Mrs. Christine Magoola of Magogo parish learned of The Hunger Project (THP)-Uganda when programs were introduced in her village of Bwanalira in 2005. Attending every awareness session she could, Christine was soon elected as the Secretary of the Kiruhura Epicenter Committee. In 2006, after receiving agricultural training in groundnut production as part of her epicenter’s programming, Christine put her new farming knowledge to work, plowing a three-acre plot of land to grow the improved groundnut seedlings that she received from THP-Uganda. It was that particular awareness training that paved way for her future, she says, as it opened her to the business world.
From that crop season, Christine was able to harvest about 11 bags of groundnuts, which she sold on the open market for 2,640,000 Ugandan shillings (US$950). Using the money from these sales to buy an additional four-acre plot of land after harvest, and investing part of the balance from the sales in a retail shop, Christine laid the groundwork to increase both her agricultural production and individual profits from it.
Beyond increasing her business savvy, Christine says she learned about women being equal partners from the HIV/AIDS and Gender Inequality trainings offered at the epicenter. She says these trainings made her feel empowered to contribute as an equal partner towards her family’s well-being. Christine’s husband also attended HIV/AIDS and Gender Inequality trainings, promoting his support of the role of women as equal partners in the home. He works for the family’s well-being by taking care of the family farm, which includes four cows and nine goats.
Because she feels so strongly about the positive impact THP programs have had on her life, Christine is eager to spread the word to other women in her community. She has taken on responsibility as an HIV/AIDS Trainer of Trainers, as well as working to mobilize others to attend Functional Adult Literacy classes at the epicenter. Furthermore, Christine works to promote the sale of water purification technologies to ensure good sanitation practices.
Outside her efforts within THP-Uganda, Christine was recently sworn in as a Parish Councilor. In the future, she plans to establish a food processing unit, specifically a maize mill, to continue to strengthen her businesses and raise funds for her children’s school dues.
Learn More
- THP-Uganda
- The Epicenter Strategy in Africa
- Meet other partners in Africa, South Asia and Latin America
December 30, 2011
