Xavier Project bought 23-acres of land in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, Kamwenge District in South-western Uganda at the beginning of this year. The objective is to use the land as a model farm to test new crops, agronomic practices and share learning with refugee and local small-holder farmers in the region. Extensive studies have shown that most refugee households in Rwamwanja refugee settlement practice subsistence farming (maize and beans), however their yields do not match the potential of the soil fertility. As such, Xavier Project intends to improve farmers’ yields and income through technical training, increased access to information and a robust monitoring process.
At present, farm staff have been recruited and 12 acres have been opened in preparation for growing food and cash crops. The farm is the start of Xavier Project’s social enterprise journey within Rwamwanja and we are working closely with our partners, community-based organisation Tomorrow Vijana (Tomorrow Youth).
We have three main objectives as part of this initiative; to deepen understanding of market challenges to actively support market improvements; support skill building in relevant sectors; and to take the capital and operational risk of testing new practices in emergency like settings to inform refugees who can then take the reins to scale livelihood solutions for greater self-reliance and integration within Ugandan communities. Thank you to everyone who has supported this initiative so far. We will be sharing updates on Facebook as we go – follow us here to find out more.
