While it is true that Uganda offers great farming conditions and agricultural potential, it may be unrealistic to argue that this promise has been reached.

The mostly subsistence character of farming, little agri-input such as fertilizer and mechanization, and the list goes on, are all known barriers to realizing this potential. However, an unspoken enemy may be lurking in the shadows, indirectly contributing to the country's low-yielding agricultural sector.

Women contribute the largest percentage of the agricultural labor force. Their contribution, however, is lost to unpaid family labor, which is minimized by societal discrimination and the gender gap.

Topista Namuddu, a resident of the Kyegegwa district in Western Uganda dissolved her marriage a few years ago. But the dissolution came at a great personal cost! She survived on subsistence farming, and her most valuable possession was the land secured by her marriage.

The dissolution of that marriage resulted in the loss of access to that farmland since the customary laws of the area did not enable her to keep the asset that was critical to her livelihood.

Only after the intervention of the Toil and Promote Agriculture organization, TAPA, an agricultural development non-profit, was Namuddu able to receive some relief. Not only was the organization able to advocate for fair wealth division between the couple, but she was also selected to get a home remodeling package given to female farmers in the area.

“I never expected to stay in a house that looks this good!” an excited Namuddu exclaimed. Nammudu exemplifies several beneficiaries who are reaping from the community-centered models that are part of TAPA’s agricultural improvement program.

The package awards farmers access to stable markets for produce, subsidized agricultural loans, discounted agri inputs, community schools for farmers’ children, and a house remodeling package.

TAPA moved to the mainly underserved Kyegegwa district around 25 years ago, intending to tap and expand its agricultural potential. They realized, however, that women, the most important contributors to food security and agricultural production, were being held back by societal factors. These included the gender divide between females and their male counterparts, a high prevalence of HIV and Aids, and ever-increasing levels of poverty, which hampered farmers.

TAPA, therefore, opted to work backward, creating community-centered and inspired structures that would enable the Kyegegwa farming community to thrive and reach stability and potential, thereby unlocking the region's agricultural potential.

The programs that arose from their initiative, in addition to enhancing farmers' livelihoods, attempted to influence the community's favorable outlook toward the contribution and empowerment of women as equal contributors to societal growth and welfare.

More than two decades later, TAPA is reaping the benefits of its community rehabilitation initiatives, which have enabled farmers like Namuddu to more than double their agricultural output.

The findings demonstrate that empowering the workforce and enhancing the community to achieve stability is the future of farming in the region.