Scaling up supporting women groups to improve resilience and adaptation to the effects of climate change in southwest Uganda
Climate resilience and adaptation: Stories from women in southwestern Uganda
Introduction
The effects of climate change are different for women and men. This is because, they have different roles, life challenges, rights, and preferences. Women commonly face higher risks and greater burdens from the impacts of climate change. Women’s unequal participation in decisionmaking processes and labour markets compound inequalities often prevent them from fully contributing to climate change related planning, policy making, and implementation.
ACORD-U in collaboration with Bread for the World believes that if women are empowered, they can play a critical role in minimising the effects of climate change leading to sustainable resource management and practices at the community level. In light of the above, ACORD-U has been supporting women in southwestern Uganda, building their capacity and resilience in adapting to climate change in their community. ACORD-U also believes that communities can be more prepared for climate change if they have secure livelihoods, access to education, safe water, sanitation, and hygiene good practices.
Below are stories from several women from southwestern Uganda whose lives have been transformed by the ACORD-U project.
About the Project
Utilising climate resilient agriculture skills and resilient rainwater harvesting tanks transforms Jades Twesigye’s life.
“My name is Jades Twesigye Tusiingwine, I am 51 years old, married to Twesigye Godfrery, I am a mother of five boys, and a member of Kanyaga Tusiingwire Women’s Group, Kikunda I village, Bushwere parish in Mwizi Sub County, Rwampara District.
Situation Before
Before ACORD-U started implementing the WASH and climate change project in our village, we had a serious water problem. Our home is on the top of a hill, to get water we had to walk down the valley. It was tedious work carrying heavy water containers for a distance of four kilometers back home. Another challenge we were facing was that those days when the rains came they would
The intervention
The intervention When ACORD-U started working in our community, this was a blessing to us. ACORD-U came with an approach of mobilising us the women to form groups and thereafter we were trained and supported in our groups in climate change adaptations and resilient technologies. Personally, I have learned about climate change résilient agricultural methods including mulching of my banana plantation, and practicing mixed farming. I am happy that nowadays I have the skills of growing beans, vegetables and my banana plantation has better yields.
As a member of Kanyaga Tusiingwire Women’s Group, my family has benefited two climate proof 10,000 litre capacity rainwater harvesting tanks from ACORD-U. One tank stores water for our household consumption and the second tank is for micro irrigation, even during dry seasons we are able to produce vegetables for our home consumption and income generation. When I started putting into practice the smart agricultural skills learned from ACORD-U, I realised that even during dry seasons I could be food secure.
The mulching of gardens and making trenches in the garden help in preserving water in the soils, stopping it from evaporation or running off to the swamps. In my home, we have to tanks from ACORD-U, we use one of the tanks for micro irrigation, and growing vegetables including eggplants, tomatoes, and garden eggs. We also grow beans, Irish, and sweet potatoes. We eat some and also sell some of these vegetables for an income thus improving nutrition and livelihood in our homes.
In addition, ACORD-U has trained us on safe water, sanitation, and hygiene improvement. The provision of climate proof rain water harvesting tanks has enabled us and many other households to have access to safe water even in the dry seasons, this in turn has led to the improvement in our sanitation and hygiene practices. We have enough water for handwashing with soap, and ACORD-U has taught us the benefits of using a drying rack for our utensils, before this project we used to dry our utensils on banana leaves on the ground, sometimes chicken and pigs would come and make them dirty. I’m very grateful to ACORD-U for the support, this project has transformed our lives, and I no longer have to worry about collecting water and also about food in the dry seasons.
Twesigye Godfrey: Planting trees, planting hope for the future
Twesigye Godfrey 54, is a lay leader in Kikunda Church of Uganda, he is the husband of Jades Twesigye Tusiingwine, both are involved in ACORD-U project activities. Godfrey is a member of Twekembe Women’s Group where his wife is also a member. He is very grateful for the support from ACORD-U and Bread for the World.
“ I’m very grateful to ACORD-U and Bread for the World for training me in different aspects of farming, and tree nursery bed making as well as giving my home two rainwater harvesting tanks. We use one tank for household water needs and the second one for micro irrigation of vegetables. I grew cabbage last season I earned UGX.10,0000, and from selling tomatoes I earned UGX. 300,000 and I also earn from selling matooke (plantain) from my garden.
After ACORD-U taught us about climate change (drought and unpredictable weather changes), I was selected and supported to establish a tree nursery bed. In the bed I have fruit and non-fruit trees, I have paw-paw, oranges, mangoes, jackfruit, passion, lemon, mangoes, and eucalyptus among others. It is my nursery bed that supplies trees to all ACORD-U project areas. I am very glad that this has become a big source of income in my home, using proceeds from the nursery bed I have been able to buy a second cow. Since ACORD-U is also trained in improved agriculture methods, I use cow dung as manure in my gardens, even during the dry seasons my gardens are not affected so much. As a family, we take this opportunity to thank ACORD-U and Bread for the World for transforming our lives, we now have easy access to safe water, we grow vegetables all year round through micro irrigation, and above all, we have learned better farming methods that withstand climate changes.
