The success of Joweria Ssekiyanja as UCAA trained agent

Joweria Ssekiyanjja completed her Change Agent Training in 2002. She lives in Luweero District, Nyimbwa Sub County. Since then, she says that her life changed and improved. She mobilized and started up a group called Bajabasaaga Farmers’ Group. The group started to grow vitamin A (Yellow) sweet potatoes.

They ensured that each member is provided with sweet potatoes - veins and all of them established individual garden at household level with the objective of being assured of food security within households, including having enough food at all times and also good nutrition.

The group then started selling the Vitamin A sweet potatoes veins for an income. As time went on, their group could be easily identified and was given trainings with different agricultural organizations including Harvest plus and National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO).

Joweria and her group established an office and store along Bombo Road. They have got an opportunity to network with other groups from different districts including

1. Luweero
2. Mukono
3. Kamwenge
4. Lwengo
5. Isingiro
6. Mbarara
7. Kabale
8. Kisoro
9. Gulu
10. Lira
11. Nakasongola
12. Jinja
13. Iganga
14. Masaka
15. Rakai
16. Soroti
17. Nakaseke
18. Amolatar
19. Mityana
20. Hoima
21. Buikwe and
22. Mubende
respectively.

Joweria as a trained and experienced leader has conducted trainings to groups in all the above mentioned districts with support from Harvest plus and NARO.

Within Luweero District, Joweria has guided and trained 20 groups, who registered with the district as Community Based Organizations and were all able to open up group bank accounts. On top of improved agricultural trainings, Joweria also trains these groups in savings and Credit management. Members in these groups are happy and appreciate Joweria’s initiative of bringing them together.

They also appreciate the business of Vitamin A Potatoes since it has market and on top of that, it is also good for food security and nutritious for their families especially their children. Joweria appreciates the Change Agent Training and says it was out of its completion that she was able to express herself and her decision making improved thus was able to clearly select the enterprise that has made her prosper.

“I have been able to educate 9 (nine) of my children and 2 (two) of them have graduated, at University level. And I have been able to participate in community leadership roles, I’m the LC1 Chair Person of Mayirikiti Village, I was selected and trained as one of the Village Health Team (VHT) and I’m the leader of the Sanitation program in Nyimbwa Sub County.” Says Joweria in her own words. “I really thank UCAA for the Change Agent Training, it has really changed and improved my lifestyle of living” Joweria added.