Change projects in Uganda

Page reviewed:  10/07/2025

Empowering Women Farmers in Uganda Through Renewable Energy and Dairy Innovation

This sub-regional hub in East Africa is jointly managed by Kyambogo University and Gulu University.  Its primary focus is on building capacity for better research impact towards a sustainable agricultural transformation. These objectives are achieved through two specialized courses: ‘Theory of Change to Design for Research Impact’ and ‘Translating Research to Policy and Practice, and through knowledge-sharing platforms, communication and engagement activities, and by promoting the proof of concept outcomes generated by its two change projects:
  • Gender-responsive Milk Value Addition and Sustainable Market Access (GEMVAM)
  • Urban Food Systems Resilience to Flood and Drought Risks (RUFs)

Gender-responsive Milk Value Addition and Sustainable Market Access (GEMVAM)

This project aims to optimise sustainable, gender-inclusive milk value addition among women smallholder livestock farmers in Kiruhura District, Western Uganda. By integrating biogas systems powered by cattle dung, the project will enable energy-efficient production of milk-based confectioneries. Key objectives include empowering women through training and access to resources, promoting the use of renewable energy, and strengthening market linkages for value-added dairy products.

Building on previous project phases, key lessons include the importance of stakeholder engagement, risk assessment, and continuous monitoring. The involvement and support of male partners are recognised as critical to long-term sustainability.

In this new phase, the project expects to see enhanced dairy value addition, increased adoption of biogas technology, improved incomes, and stronger participation of women in the dairy value chain. By project end, women-led farms will operate renewable energy-powered processing systems, with improved access to markets and more resilient, environmentally sustainable livelihoods.

Urban Food Systems Resilience to Flood and Drought Risks (RUFs)

The long-term change that the project seeks to achieve and contribute is to create flood- and drought- resilient communities in the Mbale City and Kasese urban regions. This will be achieved by strengthening existing and leveraging new partnerships between smallholder farmers, respective urban adminsitrations and other key actors that are engaged in promoting resilient urban food systems. In addition, to achieve this goal, the project will enhance community awareness and preparedness about the flood and drought risks and actions, advocating for and integrating local knowledge in decision-making processes, and co-creation of knowledge with state and non-state actors towards mutual benefit through evidence-based and collaborative decision-making processes.

Read an interview with hub-leader Judith Irene Nagasha here:

Judith I. Nagasha, Uganda

Refining milk products to empower women and youth