By Joyce Nyakato

Last year’s overall winner, Elizabeth Lapenga, is the executive secretary of the consortium to uplift the economic standards of women in villages through agriculture.

“On the day of the awards ceremony in April 2012, someone suggested that we start an organization to empower women to ensure food security,” says Elizabeth Lapenga

Lapenga was voted the overall winner for her work in combating hunger in the Acholi sub-region, especially at the height of the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency. Her initiative is called Hunger Alert. Last year’s theme was Women in Food Security. 

At the awards ceremony organised by Vision Group at Golf Course Hotel, the finalists were excited that their efforts had been recognised. 

Lapenga said the ceremony gave her an opportunity to meet 15 other finalists from different parts of the country, who shared a common goal of ensuring food security in their communities. 

The finalists in the Women Achievers Consortium continued to do what they had been doing. However, this time, they could share experiences and learn from each other.

Through the group, Lapenga says some of the finalists uplift their colleagues, who in turn reach more women in the communities where they are based. She believes that such a ripple effect would eventually roll out to all women in the country.

In Uganda, women have for long been left out when it comes to agricultural planning. Research has shown that although women contribute a lot to the agricultural sector, they are often marginalised by their husbands when it comes to selling the produce and accessing the profits. They end up depending on their husbands for everything, including food. 

The consortium premises on the fact that when you help a woman, you help a nation, because she thinks of her husband and children as well. 

Because the finalists live in different parts of the country, they do not meet often due to transport constraints. They, however, keep in touch by telephone. Lapenga is based in Gulu, while the other finalists are based in Kasese, Fort Portal and Mbale districts. 

Lapenga, who is also the executive secretary of the group, says her dream is to see more women empowered in food security in their localities. “All we need are seeds and we will open up our land for agriculture,” she says when asked about the goal of the consortium. 

Lapenga believes that the best way to improve the lives of women is to give them a livelihood. 

Since she won the first runner-up award, Harriet Nakabaale, a Kampala-based urban farmer, has been creating awareness of how to get high yields from small pieces of land in urban areas. 

After her story was published in New Vision, a number of TV stations followed up her story. From that time, many people have been visiting her and spreading word of her urban farming projects. “People still go to New Vision looking for my number,” Nakabaale says. 

Recently, 1,200 Kenyan agricultural students visited Nakabaale and used her backyard as a case study in urban farming. Initially, Nakabaale used to offer free training, but today, she levies charges given the overwhelming demand for her services. However, through the consortium, she teaches other women about urban farming at no cost.

Nakabaale says when they set up the consortium, they hoped a donor would help fund their outreaches and other activities. They also hoped to create a fund, which operates like a savings and co-operative through which women would obtain However, the consortium faces a key challenge of funding for its activities such as meetings and office space.

For now, the consortium plans to start with 16 women, but will recruit more women if the funds become available. The women will have two meetings in a year, where they will compare notes and learn from each other’s experiences.

The nominee should be able to show at least two of the following:

Mobilised or used own resources to set up income-generating projects with in-built saving schemes.

Engaged in mobilisation of the communities to develop a saving culture (financial literacy).

Has set up savings and cooperative saving schemes (SACCOS).

Is advocating for policies to promote the savings culture.

If employed in a similar role, the nominee must have gone beyond her normal call of duty in promoting financial literacy and a saving culture.

The woman nominee must exhibit at least two of the following characteristics: 

Must be Ugandan. 

Shares her knowledge with the community.

Must have visible impact on the community.

Innovatively uses local resources.

Goes beyond her ordinary call of service to promote financial literacy and or savings culture.

Nominate her by sending:

Her name ….

Her telephone contact ….

Her area/community of operation …. 

What she has done/is doing ….

Your name and telephone contact ….