Breaking the Cycle: How Integrated Training Empowers Women in Magoba Ward

In Magoba Ward, many women-led households struggle with low and unstable incomes. Smallholder farming remains vulnerable to climate change, and limited access to capital keeps families trapped in subsistence living. Women are often excluded from financial decision-making, relying on their husbands for daily needs and lacking the resources to invest in farming or small businesses. These challenges reinforce poverty, food insecurity, and dependence.

 Through the BRAFAH 1 Project, funded by Egmont Trust, 30 women received integrated training in Conservation Agriculture and Village Savings and Loans (VSL). The training enabled participants to organise themselves into community savings groups, which later transitioned into functioning VSLAs. Through this collective approach, women strengthened their farming practices, built a savings culture, accessed small loans, and gained greater control over household income, laying a foundation for economic empowerment and resilience.

The results have been transformative. Women now access small loans to invest in farming and income-generating activities such as livestock rearing, trading, and small enterprises. Household incomes have increased significantly, reducing financial stress and improving food security.

Beyond income, the project strengthened women’s voices at home. Many participants now actively take part in household financial decisions, including children’s education and nutrition. Climate-smart farming practices have improved land productivity, while diversified crops have enhanced household diets.