Alex inspires his community to embrace farming as business

By: Derrick Kyatuka, Communications Coordinator, Uganda Refugee Response

"I envisage a community with well-nourished children and economically empowered households. My focus is to alleviate the looming hunger crisis in the refugee and host communities," says Alexi Wani, a vegetable farmer in Itula Sub County, Obongi district.

Inspired by the desire to end hunger and malnutrition from devastating his community, Alex has cut his teeth as an established vegetable farmer. He says vegetable farming is a powerful solution to improved livelihoods and child well-being.

Already he has hired one-and-half acres of land from the host community and planted cabbages, tomatoes, and kale. "I am expecting a bumper harvest," says Alex.

Alex confesses that farming did not make sense to him at first. "Now I look at it differently because farming is not only a source of livelihood but a practical solution to economic empowerment. You can secure your livelihoods and derive income from farming when practised as a business beyond subsistence level," says Alex.

Farming as a business has boosted the household food security for most South Sudanese refugees who have relied on food aid for a long time.

Alex's savings group is among 128 economically empowered savings groups in Itula Sub County, supported with soft skills and farming equipment by World Vision through its Security, Protection and Economic Empowerment Programme (SUPREME) Project.

SUPREME is a consortium implemented by SNV, ZOA, RICE-WEST NILE and World Vision to boost household income and food security. The consortium also promotes business skills training, peaceful co-existence, environmental conservation, and employment creation.

Once he started farming, Alex did not want to depend on rain. He approached his savings group for a loan to buy a water pump for watering his vegetables, which has boosted his yield by folds. "My goal was to produce vegetables throughout the year. Today, I have enough to consume at home and sell the surplus to meet other basic family needs," he says.

With UGX220,000 (approximately US $59) daily income from selling vegetables, Alex does not regret his decision to grow vegetables. "I have made Aamany decisions in life, mourned some, and celebrated others. I celebrate my choice of growing vegetables," he says with a chuckle.

The desire to end hunger and malnutrition from devastating his community inspires Alex. 

Alex plans to continue sensitising and supporting more youth to join farming. He says, "You do not need special skills to do farming but a mindset change and passion."

Today, Alex is an inspiration to his community. Sharing farming tips with his neighbours has earned him much respect.

Lanek Pollicap, Component Manager, SUPREME Programme, says, "Alex is a humanitarian transforming his community. He shares what he has from his garden – kale, tomatoes, or cabbages. He has attracted many youths from his community to appreciate farming. People come from other communities to learn from him. And he never asks for anything but shares everything he knows."

It is possible to end hunger and improve household income through farming as a business. Alex is a perfect example to learn from.