From fighting for their hope in Rwabaganda Village, Kyenjojo district, a miracle did not come from government funding, heavy machinery, or distant promises.
It came from the calloused hands of farmers, the grit of mothers and the unwavering spirit of a forgotten community that refused to stay forgotten.
For decades, Rwabaganda’s story was one of isolation.
The village, nestled in Kagorogoro parish in Bugaki sub-county, had always been on the fringes geographically and politically.
Their road to the nearby Rugombe town council existed only on maps. On the ground, it was a tangled trail of bush and mud, a trap during rainy seasons, and a cruel reminder of how far removed they were from progress.
“We watched our children walk through swamps to school,” recalls Jenepher Kanyunyuzi, a local change agent. “Women gave birth at home because ambulances couldn’t reach us. Farmers couldn’t get their goods out. We were cut off from life.”
That all began to change in 2022, when Rwabaganda joined the Participatory Action Research (PAR) initiative, a community empowerment project encouraging people to take charge of their development.
With guidance from Change Agents and Citizen Follow-Up Committees (CFCs), villagers gathered in meetings, not to complain, but to decide: What’s our biggest need?

The Assistant District Health Officer incharge of Maternal Child Health Yumbe district, Irene Maturu. (Credit: Ibrahim Ruhweza)
The answer was unanimous: a road. Participatory Action Research Work by Twaweza to empower communities.
And so, without a cent in government funds, without machines or contracts, locals in Rwabaganda picked up their hoes and pangas.
Through bulungi bwansi—a traditional form of communal labour, they began cutting through the bush. Not hired workers, not contractors. Just villagers with a mission.
“We could no longer wait for broken promises,” Kanyunyuzi says. “So, we took the first step.”
Out of the village’s 1,000 residents, 300 were selected as young, strong, and willing to work for the greater good. Day after day, they laboured under the sun, carving out a 2-kilometer stretch of road that would connect them to the main Rugombe road. When it rained, they paused. When the sun returned, so did their resolve.
By the time New Vision visited, the road was not only visible but also passable. For the first time, boda bodas, bicycles, and small vehicles could move freely. What once felt like a dream was now a path through the heart of their community.
But the road to progress is never smooth.
As the road neared completion, the team hit a major obstacle: a wide stream between Mahangwe and Kikokwa villages that fed into Rwabaganda. During the rains, it turned ferocious, cutting off access and threatening to undo months of progress.

Health workers in Yumbe undergoing Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) on August 20, 2025 at Yumbe Resource Center. (Credit: Robert Adiga)
Did they stop?
The villagers approached Sam Magezi, an incoming local politician. Touched by their initiative, he donated a culvert. Residents rolled up their sleeves once more, dug the trench, and installed it themselves.
“But the stream was wide,” says Adolf Baruga, a CFC member. “One culvert was not enough.”
Not ready to give up, Baruga escalated the issue to Rugombe Town Council, urging engineers and the mayor to step in. He did not beg.
He made a business case: a completed road would boost trade, increase revenue, and connect more villages.
Meanwhile, Joseph Rwatooro, another Change Agent, reflected on the transformation: “People used to be selfish, only thinking of their own households. It took time to mobilize them. But now, we see the power of unity.”
Still, the road faces challenges. It lacks marram, the layer that would make it durable. Without it, erosion looms, threatening to undo everything. “We’ve done our part,” Rwatooro says. “Now the government must do theirs.”

Judith Candiru, the Assistant Nursing Officer Yumbe district.
Local chairperson Andrew Katorogo agrees. “Our efforts are paying off, business is better, and we can reach hospitals faster. But we need support to finish what we started.”
Rwabaganda’s story is not an isolated tale; it echoes across Kyenjojo District.
In Nyantungo, seasonal rains turn footpaths into rivers. In Katooke and Bufunjo, farmers abandon their harvests when markets become unreachable.
In Bufunjo Subcounty, the Kahombo River often cuts off entire villages. Even when locals try to help themselves, they eventually hit a wall of limited resources. “We do what we can,” says a resident of Bufunjo, “but sometimes we need the government to meet us halfway.”
To their credit, some improvements have come. By the end of 2023, roads in villages like Kinogero, Rukiizi, Myeri, and Rweboha in Katooke Subcounty were improved with marram. In Kinogero, LCII chairperson Johnathan Nyakatura says it’s been a “game changer,” especially for maize farmers. “Our trucks no longer get stuck. Our produce reaches the market on time.”
But what sets Rwabaganda apart is not just the road; it’s how it was built. Most locals agreed that after years of promises that were not coming, tired of waiting and being invisible. Everything now looks so possible and manageable.