Food Security & Livelihoods

At 25, Daniel may seem to have it all, but his journey is a testament to the enduring spirit of hard work and overcoming challenges.

Born into a family of eight, Daniel and his siblings faced one challenge after another. The tough days were when the family was unable to have a meal. Despite completing his Primary Seven education, Daniel ventured into constructing grass-thatched huts, but this did not yield much since he got a meagre income of sh5,000 occasionally.

This income was insufficient to meet his basic needs, leaving him without soap, proper clothes, and lacking medical care when he fell ill.

Recognizing the challenges faced by youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, Daniel was identified and enrolled in a micro-enterprise development training program. This led him to pursue a six-month training program in Horticulture and Animal Husbandry at Bobi Polytechnics in Lira district. His journey into agriculture began with an internship at Alito C&D, where he gained hands-on experience.

“I cultivate a variety of crops, including tomatoes, onions, carrots, green peppers, eggplants, watermelon, passion fruits, and cabbage. I have also ventured into poultry farming, with a total of 111 birds, and I am actively involved in piggery,” he says.

Daniel shows us some of the onions he harvested from his garden.

Daniel’s determination to improve his living conditions led him to sell seven pigs, using the proceeds to purchase iron sheets for building his house. Opio takes pride in his agricultural endeavors, selling his produce at nearby markets such as Kabalega and Agaya. 

His earnings reflect his hard work, with watermelon alone bringing in approximately sh300,000 to sh500,000, and onions fetching sh120,000 per sack. His records book shows a significant achievement of sh2,000,000 as his highest earnings.

Daniel grows onions and egg plants. He is also venturing into growing passion fruits and papaws. On average he earns UGX 150,000 (40.80 USD) per week by selling egg plants. From the onions, he makes UGX 800,000 (217.59USD) to UGX 1million (271.99 USD) per month, which re-invests into farming.  

Through selling onions and egg plants, he was able to build a poultry house in his compound, he bought a spray pump and a second-hand sewing machine for his wife. In November 2023, he also bought a second-hand motorcycle at UGX 2.5million (679.98 USD) which he uses for transporting produce to the market for sale, and a plot of land in the nearby trading center, which he acquired at UGX 3million (815.97 USD).

To increase his production, Daniel hired another piece of land (about an acre) in the neighborhood at UGX 350,000 (95. 20 USD) for two years, where he grows cabbages, from which he expects about UGX 3 million (815.97 USD) to UGX 8 million (2,175.93 USD) in sales this year. His grandmother was impressed by his achievements, and she added him to another piece of land to boost his production.

Rogers Okello, the Agricultural Officer, Kangai Town Council, said whereas they are open to supporting many youth, a few are patient and succeed.

“ Because of his hard work, we supported him with 50 exotic hens in November 2023 as a supplement to what he had already achieved,” he said.

Here, he shows us some of his birds.

Beyond personal success, Opio has expanded his impact by training youth in his village on horticulture and animal husbandry, earning him the title of a consultant for his voluntary service to the community.

“Despite the achievements, there are challenges of harsh climate conditions, such as prolonged sunshine that affects crop growth. Because I do not have a nearby water source, fetching water from the distant borehole for irrigation has become an uphill task,” he says, adding that he plans to buy a water tank for efficient irrigation.

He stands outside his house with his wife and child.

Opio’s dedication to hard work and persistence transformed his life, and he no longer idles around the village.

“In future, I plan to establish a large-scale farm, integrating horticulture, poultry and piggery projects,” As a beneficiary of the ongoing government program, Parish Development Model, Opio intends to use the funds to construct a bigger chicken house and further expand his agricultural endeavors.