Before 2019, Doreen from Kabale, Uganda, had few economic prospects. Like many Ugandan women and mothers, she relied on a male breadwinner. She lacked access to opportunities to become self-sufficient. Today, she is a successful mushroom farmer and entrepreneur, helping other women in her community empower themselves as agripreneurs.
Doreen's transformation was enabled by AgroMush Uganda, a community-focused enterprise using mushroom farming in Uganda to turn agricultural waste into income and nutrition. In an interview with The Borgen Project, AgroMush's founder, Ahabwe Canary, explains, "Our mission is to train, equip and empower communities to attain improved livelihoods… through promoting sustainable, commercial mushroom growing."
In Uganda, almost 75% of households depend on agriculture as their primary source of income, mostly smallholder farms. Most farmers only reach around 40% of their earning potential, with many being forced to deliberate over whether their crops will be used for income or to feed their families. Food security is also a massive concern in Uganda, with 26% of children aged less than 5 suffering from stunted growth due to malnutrition. AgroMush presents a model for growth in a stagnant agricultural industry, which saw only a 1.9% annual growth between 2008 and 2017.
Read more at Borgen Magazine
