Stories
August 13, 2026 • 2 min read
Alaro Hawa, a mother of five from Amolatar District, Uganda, has transformed her farm into a growing business through the INSPIRE project. By adopting improved farming techniques and planning for the future, she increased her soybean harvest, revived her grain business, and expanded her poultry flock. Her success has strengthened her family's income and inspired other farmers in her community. Today, she is helping others use the same skills to improve their livelihoods.
Many smallholder farmers in Uganda’s Lango sub-region face unpredictable weather, declining soil fertility, limited access to agricultural knowledge and unreliable market links. Through the INSPIRE project, farmers receive practical training and learning sessions, and follow up support to improve production, strengthen household planning and build sustainable farm businesses.
From Survival Farming to Business Planning
Alaro Hawa, 47, is a mother of five from Amai Community in Aputi Sub-county, Amolatar District. Like many farmers in her area, she faced poor harvests, unpredictable weather and limited market opportunities. Her grain business had collapsed because she lacked the capital to continue, and the chickens she kept were treated mainly as household food rather than as a potential business.
That changed when she joined the INSPIRE project as a Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) Innovator. Through practical training given through the Farmer Learning Groups (FLGs), she learned to plan for her family’s future, improve soil and water management, adopt better farming practices and treat farming as a business rather than only a means of survival.
Reflecting on the experience, Hawa says “Through the training, I recognised poultry as a profitable enterprise, rebuilt my grain business and became more confident in making decisions about investing in my farm”.
Turning Knowledge into Results
After developing a household action plan, Hawa put her new skills into practice.
In the first growing season of 2025, she planted one acre of maize and harvested around 1.2 tons. The income allowed her to restart the grain business she had previously lost.
She also applied improved farming practices to one acre of soybeans. Before joining the project, she harvested only around 50 kilograms of soybeans per acre. After adopting the new techniques, production increased to approximately 600 kilograms from the same area.
The harvest earned her about UGX 1.2 million (approximately €280), which she plans to invest in buying a heifer while using the remaining income to purchase seed and other farm inputs for the next season.
Hawa also expanded her poultry enterprise. Starting with 25 local chickens, she improved flock management by selling surplus cocks and keeping healthy breeding birds. Today, her flock has grown to 176 chickens, and she aims to build it into a commercial enterprise with over 1,000 birds.
Creating Opportunities Beyond One Household
The benefits of Hawa’s progress extend beyond her own farm. Her husband now actively supports their shared plans by helping fence the poultry area, improving security and reducing the risk of disease. Working together has strengthened both their farming business and household planning.
As a PIP Innovator, Hawa has also trained 12 neighboring farmers, and four have already started developing poultry enterprises based on the approach she demonstrated.
