Leah Zooms Past Obstacles to Help Farmers Thrive

With the help of Heifer Uganda, Amongi is working to give her peers the vital skills they need to change that statistic, and she isn’t letting anything stand in her way. In 2019, Amongi joined Heifer Uganda’s Learn for Agribusiness project and was trained as a community agri-input entrepreneur. Through the project, Heifer Uganda is working to help young people, many of whom were unable to complete formal educations, to earn a living income through farming. “COVID-19 is here to stay, and we cannot allow our farmers to starve. I have an obligation to serve even within times of hardship. I look at it like a soldier on a battlefield.” - Leah Amongi, community agri-input entrepreneur As an extension worker, It’s Amongi’s job to teach participants the essential skills they need to build a sustainable and profitable business in agriculture through improved practices. Her lessons include weed and pest control, sowing good quality seeds, and line spacing, to name a few. Fortunately, that’Leah Amongi on her motorbike. Photo by James Akena. “I joined the Learn for Agribusiess project because I am inspired to work with young people participating in agriculture,” said Amongi. “I love the work I do because it enables me to share my technical agricultural skills, which can make a difference in the lives of the community.” Unwilling to be gouged and even less willing to leave farmers to fend for themselves, Amongi bought a motorcycle of her own. “COVID-19 is here to stay, and and we cannot allow our farmers to starve,” she said. “I have an obligation to serve even within times of hardship. I look at it like a soldier on a battlefield.” Both Leah and the farmers she serves are serious about COVID-19 prevention. Amongi’s new ride allows her to deliver critical farming supplies like seeds, tools, irrigation equipment and fertilizers to farmers who are unable to access them. It also helps her make the most of her time. Now, not only can she reach more people than before, but she can work closely with other extension workers who are, likewise, working hard to keep young farmers afloat during this time of crisis. Amongi’s involvement with Heifer Uganda allowed her to share her talents and serve her community, and it’s given her opportunity for growth. “It has built my capacity in so many ways, in getting soft skills on how to communicate, how to mobilize the community and how to interact with them,” she said.

Charity Name
Heifer International
Photo Credit
James Akena/Heifer International