Rural Development in Northern Uganda and Karamoja: A Field Visit.

Last month, a delegation from the German Embassy and GIZ Uganda led by Alicia van den Boom, Head of Development Cooperation at the embassy, and Myriam Fernando, the Head of our Rural Development Programmes, made a field visit to northern Uganda and Karamoja. During this field visit, they witnessed firsthand our rural development initiatives in these regions.

In this post, we invite you to learn more about our integrated rural development approaches by virtually revisiting the different sites the delegation visited.        

Why these areas? Karamoja faces the challenge of prolonged drought, resulting in low agricultural production. Similarly, in northern Uganda, factors such as low resilience to climate change and limited access to production resources like land, particularly for women, hinder its economic development. Additionally, fishing communities in northern Uganda experience poor fish yields and limited value-addition opportunities. Despite these challenges, the regions have significant economic development potential.

Our Approach to Rural Development. Our efforts target three key interlinked areas: agriculture, fisheries, and land rights. We aim to build resilience to climate change, boost agricultural productivity, promote sustainable fisheries, and secure land rights. By offering integrated solutions in these sectors, we create sustainable jobs, increase incomes, and foster inclusive growth across the regions.

A closer look at our interventions and approaches: Highlights from the field visit:

The delegation's journey began in Karamoja, where they engaged with Rangeland Management Committees. In Karamoja, we implement the Participatory Rangeland Management (PRM) Toolkit to empower local communities to get involved in decision-making for the sustainable management of the rangeland.

In Kosiroi, Tapac Sub-County, they met artisanal miners. Through dialogues, we work with relevant stakeholders to advocate for their rights and empower the community through information and educational materials.

Moving to Teso, the delegation visited Arapai Sub-County, where we support residents in acquiring Certificates of Customary Land Ownership (CCOs). Our approach to this is creating awareness of customary land registration and facilitating a self-financing mechanism where residents are empowered to cover their registration costs. This has resulted in over 240 land title applications of which 58 are from women.

The delegation continued to Namasale landing site in Amolatar District, a major fishing hub. In the fishing communities, our focus is on promoting sustainable fisheries management to boost incomes and create jobs within the fisheries value chain. To achieve this, we strengthen compliance with regulations by enhancing the registration and licensing of fishing boats. Additionally, we provide business development services to fisheries enterprises to improve their trade and profitability.

From Namasale, the team visited the Oyam District Farmers Association (DFA) and Awelo Millers. To improve the organizational efficiency and develop the capacity of farmer groups to profitably trade and establish relationships with other private sector actors, we offer business development and governance-strengthening support to member-based organizations such as farmer associations and cooperatives.

The visit concluded with a focus group discussion in Lira, involving a select group of agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Through business-to-business engagements and private-sector dialogues, we strengthen the links between private-sector actors and smallholder farmers.

As we work in these regions, our commitment to rural development remains steadfast. Through our different rural development approaches, we continue laying the foundation for a resilient and thriving rural economy.