Cultivating Hope: FAO’s agricultural training fostering refugee Self-Reliance

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Government of Uganda through the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), is supporting newly arrived Sudanese refugees in Kiryandongo District to build resilient livelihoods through practical agricultural training.

The three-month capacity-building programme, implemented under the Emergency Support to Enhance Food, Nutrition and Energy Security project, began in August 2025. It provides refugees with essential skills to improve household food security, expand income opportunities and strengthen long-term self-reliance.

“We are training in four key areas—poultry production and management, agro-processing and value addition, crop production, and agricultural mechanization,” explained Kunihira Evarline, Academic Registrar at the Innovative Institute of Agriculture, Business and Capacity Building in Kigumba. “Attendance has been encouraging, and participants are quickly adapting to the programme.”

The programme combines classroom instruction with hands-on practice. Poultry trainees progress from basic husbandry principles to practical flock management, including housing, nutrition and disease prevention. Crop production and mechanization classes focus on nursery establishment, improved seed-raising techniques and labour-saving technologies.

In agro-processing, participants learn to produce honey and bakery items, understand food safety and packaging, and explore marketing strategies and simple profit management techniques—skills that can translate into viable micro-enterprises.

To ensure full participation, courses are delivered in English with Arabic interpretation, and households unable to attend in person may designate family members to learn on their behalf.

For many refugees, the training represents the first step toward rebuilding their livelihoods. “I want to learn how to grow vegetables at home and support my family,” shared Afag Ali, one of the trainees.

According to Anne Nyambane, FAO’s Refugee Response and Sustainable Energy Specialist, the programme goes beyond immediate food and nutrition needs. “Skilling is critical for these refugees. With this training, participants can engage with agricultural markets. Even if they eventually return to Sudan, they will have the knowledge and certification needed to rebuild their lives.”

The initiative also promotes agri-preneurship by encouraging participants to view agriculture as a business. Trainees are supported to scale up poultry and crop production, add value to products, and generate income that strengthens household resilience.

The programme will run until 18 November 2025, culminating in formal certification. Graduates will be better positioned to integrate into local labour markets, start small enterprises and contribute to stronger, more resilient refugee and host-community livelihoods.