Location: Kabonero Subcounty, Fort Portal City
Thematic Area: Climate-Smart Agriculture & Food Systems / Resilient Livelihoods
Beneficiary: Maria Kabahenda, 34 years old, single mother of three
Before REST-Africa’s Intervention
For years, Maria Kabahenda, a smallholder farmer in Kabonero, struggled to feed her children and earn a stable income from her quarter-acre piece of land.
Unpredictable rainfall, depleted soil fertility, and pests destroyed her crops season after season.
Every year was a gamble.
Some seasons yielded nothing at all.
With limited knowledge of improved agricultural practices and no access to market information, Maria found herself trapped in a cycle of low yields, food insecurity, and poverty.
“I planted the way my mother taught me, but the weather had changed. I felt like the soil was no longer listening to me,” Maria recalls.
REST-Africa Steps In
In early 2024, REST-Africa introduced the Climate-Smart Agriculture & Food Systems Program to her community.
Maria was selected to join a training group of women farmers learning about:
- Minimum tillage
- Mulching & soil moisture retention
- Intercropping & crop diversification
- Use of organic fertilizers and compost
- Establishment of kitchen nutrition gardens
- Post-harvest handling
- Access to markets and pricing information
Maria also became one of the demonstration farmers, receiving technical support from REST-Africa’s field officers and the district agricultural extension team.
Through the program, she received improved seedlings, a starter agroforestry package, and was linked to a local VSLA group for financial inclusion.
Transformation
Within just one planting season, Maria’s farm began to change:
🌿 She introduced intercropped beans and maize which improved soil fertility.
💧 Mulching helped her crops survive a dry spell that destroyed neighboring farms.
🥦 She established a nutrition garden providing vegetables for her children year-round.
📈 Her bean yield increased from 25 kg to 72 kg, her highest harvest in years.
She sold part of the produce through a buyer linked to the REST-Africa market network — earning UGX 210,000, compared to the usual UGX 60,000 she earned previously.
For the first time, Maria could:
- Buy school supplies for her children
- Save money through the VSLA
- Plan for the next season with confidence
“My children now eat vegetables every day. We no longer skip meals when the season fails. I feel like I have my dignity back.” — Maria
A Ripple Effect in the Community
Today, Maria mentors 18 other women farmers in her village.
Her demonstration plot has become a learning site for neighboring households.
She dreams of expanding into poultry keeping and joining a local women-led cooperative.
Her journey is proof that with the right knowledge and support, even small pieces of land can change lives.
REST-Africa’s Impact Through Maria’s Story
Maria’s transformation is one among the 4,000+ farmers supported under REST-Africa’s climate-smart agriculture work. Her story highlights:
- Improved food security
- Increased household income
- Empowered women in agriculture
- Strengthened climate resilience
- Community-led learning and sustainability