I discovered that we were not poor at all and we had resources within us all along. All we needed was a push to enable us move forward

Posted on: 17th May, 2023 By: Selina Kamama Tag: Livelihood 5 min read

Selina Kamama

Kamama uses the skills she gained from the project to train and mentor other women in her village and has shown that it is possible to overcome challenges and create a better future

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My name is Kamama Celina. I am a mother from Locholi Village. I’m married with five children. I lived a life of constant economic hardships and could hardly make ends meet. My situation was even worsened by COVID-19. I rely on Agriculture as a source of income, mostly looking after my cattle and chicken. But this didn’t earn me much because I have to meet my personal needs and those of my children. As a result, my children were out of school, not only because of financial hardships but also because of societal norms, which are not very supportive of children’s education in my village.

My husband being polygamous with many children, was unable to support them all and had chosen not to financially support my children. He did not value education, so schooling of my children was my business if I wanted them in school.

My life transformed when I became involved in the “PIGA - IGA pilot” project. With knowledge and skills I gained from Farmer Field Schools (FFS), VSLA trainings on financial literacy, livelihoods enhancement, helped improve on my farming practices. My yields have since improved. I was able to add value to my maize and groundnuts which I now sell within the community and during the weekly market days.

In Mahendeleo VSLA group where I am a member, I save and borrow. With my savings, I have been able to support my children in school, expand my business and borrow money from the group.

I now train and mentor several other women with the several skills. I believe it is possible to overcome challenges and create a better future.

Quick facts

In July 2021, Nascent Research and Development Organization Uganda entered into an agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in support of the MDF-funded project, known as ‘Supporting Governments in addressing child labor for sustainable agricultural transformation in COVID-19 economic recovery’. Nascent RDO made progressive efforts towards addressing the root causes of child labor through a Project, known as, ‘Piloting Income Generating Activities” (PIGA-IGAs Project).

The PIGA-IGAs project started in August 2021 and lasted for a period of 5 months. It engaged in the provision of services for awareness raising on child labour and economic empowerment of 400 vulnerable households affected by child labour in Amudat and Moroto districts in Karamoja sub-region of Uganda. Over the 5 months of implementation, The PIGA-IGAs project generated a number of good practices that require strengthening and replication.

Last updated on: 17th May, 2023