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CURAD incubator partners with Heifer to empower young agripreneurs
Prossy Norah Nakandi, an incubatee at CURAD and production manager at Broad Field Enterprises U Ltd showcases her products to visitors from Heifer International. PHOTO/GEORGE KATONGOLE
What you need to know:
- Uganda’s agricultural sector is brimming with potential, but young people often face hurdles entering the field.
- To address this challenge, the Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD) is joining forces with Heifer International.
Innocent Magezi, a university student and co-founder of Nostalgic Coffee Uganda, is a shining example of the growing wave of young entrepreneurs making waves in Uganda’s vital agricultural sector. Launched in 2019 alongside colleagues Caroline Bukirwa Nakato and Reagan Suubi, Nostalgic Coffee Uganda sources, meticulously sorts and roasts coffee thereby catering to those seeking high-quality Ugandan coffee.
Magezi’s story underscores the critical role of organisations like the Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD) in fostering Uganda’s next generation of agribusiness leaders.
Despite Uganda’s booming agricultural sector, aspiring agribusiness entrepreneurs face significant hurdles. Limited access to funding, poor infrastructure, and fragmented markets stifle innovation and growth.
The CURAD Incubator employs a multifaceted approach to empower young entrepreneurs. This includes providing business development services, physical workspaces, and connections to potential investors and clients. They further cultivate a culture of innovation through competitions and programmes designed to stimulate creative solutions within the agricultural sector.
Heifer partners with CURAD Incubator
During a recent visit to Uganda, the president and chief executive officer of Heifer International Surita Sandosham and the chief people officer Heifer International Eliah Makar, announced a new five-year partnership with CURAD through the Stimulating Agribusiness for Youth Empowerment (SAYE) project targeting young people and women in 11 districts of Busoga.
Surita explained that supporting young people in agribusiness to realise their dream what Heifer longs for and hopes to achieve by 2030. It is for this that they partner with others across the value chain to ensure full support to young farmers, and this support runs from the farm to the market.
The SAYE project aims to empower 250,000 young people aged 16-35 by equipping them with training, mentorship, access to finance, and market opportunities. The project focuses on four key intervention areas: skills development, market access, innovative finance, and fostering an enabling environment.
CURAD boasts a successful track record of incubating businesses across various agricultural value chains. Notable examples include the award-winning Gorilla Coffee. Their focus areas include coffee, beekeeping (apiculture), cocoa, livestock products, baked goods, and fruit processing. To date, CURAD’s impact extends to empowering 600 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which have collectively created more than 15,390 jobs.
“We, at CURAD, are thrilled to partner with Heifer International on this groundbreaking initiative. The SAYE project perfectly complements our mission of empowering young agribusiness entrepreneurs. By combining our expertise in incubation with Heifer’s extensive experience in community development, we can equip young Ugandans with the tools and resources they need to thrive in the agricultural sector,” Apollo Segawa, the executive director, CURAD said
Addressing youth unemployment
This project is particularly significant in light of Uganda’s low job market absorption rate for graduates. A recent report indicates that only a small percentage, potentially around 100,000 graduates out of more than 400,000 annually, secure formal employment. This translates to a significant number of graduates being under or unemployed.
The SAYE project directly addresses this challenge by equipping young people with the skills and resources necessary to thrive in the agribusiness sector.
A recent report by the National Planning Authority (NPA) paints a concerning picture of youth disengagement in Uganda. The report states that a staggering 4.2 million young Ugandans are classified as NEETs, meaning they are ‘Neither in Employment, Education, nor Training’.
This challenge is particularly acute in the Busoga region, where a staggering 43.5 percent of youth fall into this category.
The report also highlights a concerning trend of youth out-migration from Busoga. In recent years, a growing number of young people from the region have sought work opportunities abroad, particularly in the Middle East.
The SAYE project is specifically designed to address these challenges in Busoga. The project will be implemented across all 11 districts of the region, including Jinja, Mayuge, Iganga, Kamuli, Kaliro, Namutumba, Bugweri, Luuka, Buyende, Bugiri, and Namayingo.
About curad
The CURAD Incubator employs a multifaceted approach to empower young entrepreneurs.
This includes providing business development services, physical workspaces, and connections to potential investors and clients.
