Growing Beyond the Rainy Season

In Uganda’s Lango sub-region, farming provides both food and income for the rural communities, but relying on rainfall can make vegetable production difficult during dry periods. Small gardens may produce enough for a short time, but limited water, poor soil management and a lack of crop diversity can restrict both harvests and household income. 

The INSPIRE Project supports farmers with practical knowledge and opportunities to learn from one another. For Aceng, this support helped turn a small home garden into a more reliable source of food and an additional source of income. 

A garden limited by the seasons 

Aceng Costa, 48, is a single mother of six from Adonyo Village in Abia Sub-County, Alebtong District. She runs a small business and farms to support her family, but her vegetable garden once depended almost entirely on the rainy season. 

Without regular watering, mulching or strong fencing, the garden produced for only a short period. Aceng grew relatively few types of vegetables, and most of what she harvested was consumed at home, leaving little to sell. 

“I wanted to improve what I was producing, but I needed to learn better ways of managing the garden,” Aceng says. 

Learning new ways to grow more 

Aceng joined a Farmer Learning Group through the INSPIRE Project, where farmers learn practical techniques together and observe them in demonstration gardens. She also received guidance from a field extension worker on improving her garden and organising simple tasks that could be shared with her children. 

One of the techniques she adopted was the keyhole garden, a compact garden design that makes efficient use of limited space and water. She also began using mulch to help retain moisture in the soil, compost to improve soil fertility, regular watering, and stronger fencing to protect her crops. 

Aceng diversified her garden, growing tomatoes, malakwang (roselle leaves), alayo (Crotalaria ochroleuca) and other vegetables preferred by families in the area. 

Her children now help with simple tasks such as watering and maintaining the garden, making it easier for the family to keep the crops growing. 

More food at home, more to sell 

The changes have made Aceng’s garden productive for much longer than before. Her family can now eat fresh vegetables more regularly, while surplus produce can be sold to people in the village. 

From one batch of surplus vegetables, Aceng earned more than UGX 30,000. While modest, this additional income can help the family meet everyday needs and reduce pressure during periods when household resources are limited. 

The wider range of vegetables has also given her family more variety in their diet. 

Aceng is now using her garden to help other farmers learn. As a Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) Innovator, a farmer who helps others apply practical planning and farming approaches, she welcomes other farmers to her home to see how she manages the garden. 

Other farmers involved in the project visit to learn about the keyhole design, mulching, composting and fencing. Some have begun applying the same techniques in their own gardens. 

For Aceng, the garden is no longer simply a place to grow vegetables. It is a source of food, additional income and knowledge that she can share with others. 

“When people visit my garden, I can show them what I have learned and what is working for my family. They can take these ideas home and try them for themselves.” 

A small plot of land cannot solve every challenge a farming household face. But with practical knowledge, careful use of available resources and support from other farmers, Aceng has made her garden more productive and turned the lessons she learned into something her wider community can use.