Group photograph of delegates at the Cattle Corridor validation workshop, held on 11 September 2025 at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Kampala. Photo credit: Mathew Kariisa, Senior Communications Officer, Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE).

By Jackline Ayesiza

On 11th September 2025, the Government of Uganda convened a full-day hybrid validation workshop at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Kampala, to endorse the design of the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded project: “Fostering Water Security and Catchment Resilience in Uganda’s Cattle Corridor.” The high-level meeting brought together senior government officials, district leaders, development partners, researchers, civil society and private sector representatives to review the project’s theory of change, results framework and implementation approach.

The Cattle Corridor covers 84,000 km² about 43% of Uganda’s dryland belt and is the country’s livestock heartland, supporting 90% of cattle and millions of people through pastoral and smallholder systems. While central to food security and livelihoods, the region faces mounting climate risks, including rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, flash floods and land degradation from deforestation and soil erosion. These pressures, echoing wider East African trends, threaten water and food systems and intensify competition for resources. “The Cattle Corridor feeds the nation, but without urgent action, climate pressures could break this vital backbone,” a district official warned.

The project seeks to translate global climate finance into tangible resilience measures across multiple districts. It is financed through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) under the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), with an approved grant of USD 7.6 million and an additional USD 54.77 million in co-financing from implementing partners and national stakeholders. Conservation International serves as the implementing partner, the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) is the executing entity, and the Africa Innovations Institute (AfrII) acts as the key delivery partner.

AfrII’s district-level consultations in Mityana, Rakai, Kole, Pader and Kitgum shaped the project’s multi-faceted architecture, ensuring local priorities drive inclusive, gender-responsive interventions

The Cattle Corridor project is built on a multi-faceted framework that integrates climate-resilient water systems including gravity flow schemes, solar mini-piped networks, boreholes, and rainwater harvesting with sustainable livelihoods through climate-smart agriculture drought-tolerant crops, agroforestry and rangeland restoration. It further promotes value-chain development to boost incomes, aligns interventions with national policies such as Vision 2040 and the NDCs; and strengthens inclusive coordination through stakeholder platforms, gender-responsive engagements and knowledge management.

In his keynote address, Dr. Alfred Okidi, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water and Environment positioned the validation of the Cattle Corridor project as a cornerstone of Uganda’s national strategy to ensure universal access to safe water, emphasizing a shift from fragmented water initiatives to integrated landscape-level approaches, he further highlighted integrated water solutions to sustain flows and productivity.

The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED)’s Climate Finance Unit; emphasized that the LDCF grant must be strategically leveraged to unlock additional public, private and donor co-financing, seamlessly integrated into national financial systems to maximize impact.

Delegates underscored that the project’s significance extends beyond its headline funding, positioning it as a vital element of Uganda’s broader climate finance pipeline and national resilience strategy. This aligns with the country’s macroeconomic planning and its reported 6% economic growth for FY2023/24, which planners noted creates an opportune moment for timely and impactful resilience investments to safeguard the Cattle Corridor’s economic and environmental future.

Meave Omuruli the Manager, GEF Project Support, Africa from Conservation International outlined critical project milestones: the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) will be cleared by Conservation International on October 24, 2025, with the PPG package submitted to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) by October 30, 2025, followed by GEF’s review and clearance of the Project Identification Form (PIF) package between November 1, 2025 and May 19, 2026 and full implementation set to begin on May 20, 2026

Delegates engaged in group discussions on the project’s key components during the validation workshop. Photo credit: Mathew Kariisa, Senior Communications Officer, Ministry of Water and Environment

The validation workshop featured candid, technical discussions that refined the Cattle Corridor project strategy. District leaders stressed sustained financing and local capacity for water system maintenance, while civil society pushed for gender-responsive designs prioritizing women and youth. Researchers urged robust baseline data and monitoring and private sector voices highlighted sustainable business models via value-chain enhancements. The inputs are for strengthening the project’s Theory of Change and risk register that will enhance infrastructure sustainability, governance and conflict mitigation.

Workshop delegates outlined critical next steps, including finalizing the project document and CEO endorsement package, establishing district implementation units, securing co-financing, developing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan and launching pilot interventions in priority landscapes. They also identified key risks such as delays in co-finance mobilization, inadequate maintenance frameworks and potential land-use conflicts, proposing mitigation measures like community maintenance funds and grievance mechanisms.

“This project is about people, dignity and Uganda’s future,” a participant emphasized, highlighting its transformative potential. Success will be measured by improved water access for thousands of households, restored rangelands that enhance pasture and biodiversity and stronger policy alignment integrating local adaptation into national frameworks creating a scalable model for translating global climate finance into impactful local outcomes.

The author is the  communications officer at Africa Innovations Institute.

The Africa Innovations Institute (AfrII) is honored to be featured in New Vision (Page 26, 9^th July 2025), in recognition of its pivotal role in promoting climate-smart and community-led solutions across Uganda’s livestock corridor. This recognition follows AfrII’s active engagement in the Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on Water Security and Catchment Resilience, held on 3rd July 2025 at Golf Course Hotel, Kampala.

Organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and Conservation International (CI), the workshop marked a key milestone in shaping the design of the Fostering Water Security and Catchment Resilience in Uganda’s Cattle Corridor (LDCF Uganda Cattle Corridor) project. The initiative is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), with a grant of USD 7,598,165 and a projected co-finance of USD 54,774,000.

Objective:

To promote sustainable and climate-resilient land and water management in the Cattle Corridor of Uganda.

Project Components:

• Component 1: Inclusive access to safe and clean water for consumption and agricultural production through the adoption of climate-resilient water technologies/infrastructure
• Component 2: Promotion of resilient and sustainable alternative livelihoods of local communities
• Component 3: Strengthening policy coherence for climate adaptation at the local level
• Component 4: Enhancing the technical and institutional capacity of climate change and conservation institutions
• Component 5: Coordination, learning and knowledge management
• Component 6: Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

AfrII’s Role and Contribution

AfrII was instrumental in leading consultations in five target districts: Mityana, Rakai, Kole, Pader, and Kitgum, ensuring that the voices of local governments, civil society organizations, and communities were fully represented. These engagements helped surface local priorities and ensure that the project’s interventions are grounded in the realities of those most affected by climate challenges.

AfrII also provided technical leadership in data collection, facilitated inclusive dialogue, and ensured a strong focus on gender, capacity building, and ecosystem restoration.

Looking Ahead

AfrII remains steadfast in its commitment to bridging science, policy, and grassroots action. Through the promotion of sustainable land and water management practices, the institute continues to support long-term resilience and improved livelihoods across one of Uganda’s most climate-vulnerable regions.

By Aboth Matilda

In a small village in Adwoa Parish, Lira District, the lives of three people demonstrate how supporting women and marginalized groups in farming can transform entire communities. For years, women here have been responsible for feeding their families, but they often lack the money, tools and support they need to do this well. Men also struggle, often taking on difficult temporary jobs to make ends meet.

The CASCADE project implemented by the Africa Innovation Institute in the district, focused intentionally on supporting the “last mile woman”, the women who work tirelessly to feed their families but receive the least help. This gender-sensitive approach is helping shift long-standing power dynamics.

Awor Madoline used to be like many women farmers in her area, working hard but barely surviving. She farmed sunflowers using only hand tools and poor-quality seeds, which only gave her 400 kilograms per acre. This wasn’t enough to support her family and she felt trapped in a cycle of poverty.

Awor Madoline CBF of AFRII- CASCADE in Adwoa parish, Ogur sub/county, Lira District.

Then CASCADE came to her community and chose her for training to become a community leader. This was unusual because in her culture, men usually take leadership roles in farming. But CASCADE challenged this norm, recognising that women’s lived experiences with food insecurity positioned them as powerful agents of change. They believed that women could be equally, if not more effective leaders, precisely because they intimately understand the daily struggles of feeding and sustaining their families.

Through the training, Madoline learned better farming methods. She discovered how to use improved seeds, better tools and proper farming techniques. The results were amazing; her sunflower harvest doubled to 800 kilograms per acre. This success changed everything for her family and gave her confidence to help others.

In addition to boosting her yields, Madoline also learned the importance of growing and preparing nutritious food for her household. With guidance from CASCADE, she began incorporating more diverse and nutrient-rich crops into her family’s meals, including vegetables and legumes. This shift significantly improved the health and well-being of her children, who previously suffered from frequent bouts of malnutrition. “I moved from hand hoes to ox plough. From selling poor quality seeds to quality seeds. That is transformation,” Madoline says. But her transformation wasn’t just about farming tools it was about becoming a leader in a community where women rarely held such positions.

CASCADE then trained Madoline to become a community-based facilitator, putting her in charge of helping 250 other farmers in her area. This was a big responsibility, but Madoline was ready. She had experienced the struggles herself and knew exactly what other farmers needed. Her role became a vehicle for empowering others, especially vulnerable women, who often face multiple layers of exclusion.

Among the farmers Madoline trained was 58-year-old Acio Milly, a mother of 14 children. Despite having land to farm, she couldn’t afford good seeds, organic fertilizer or proper tools. Every season was a struggle just to grow enough food to keep her large family from going hungry.

“I had land, but with limited resources to cultivate it properly,” Milly remembers. “Every season was a struggle just to survive. Like many women in her community, Milly carried the heavy responsibility of feeding her family but lacked access to loans or credit to improve her farming. She, like countless other rural women, had no access to formal financial services often excluded due to lack of collateral such as land or property, which is typically owned or controlled by men.

Madoline recognized that Milly was one of the most vulnerable people in their community. In 2024, she helped Milly join a local savings group connected to the government’s Parish Development Model program. This was crucial because women like Milly usually can’t get loans from banks, as they often lack property to use as security, and banks often don’t take women farmers seriously.

Through this program, Milly received 1 million Ugandan shillings (USD 270) as an affordable loan. But more importantly, she received training on how to use this money wisely. CASCADE’s approach isn’t just about receiving money; it is about equipping people especially marginalized groups with the knowledge to manage it effectively. This support included financial literacy and enterprise management, empowering them to make sound and sustainable business decisions.

Milly taking her animals to graze.

Milly made very clever choices with her loan. She used 400,000 shillings to rent better land and buy improved maize seeds and organic fertilizer. Another 400,000 shillings was spent on purchasing a heifer and she used the remaining 200,000 shillings to acquire breeding goats.

With training on family nutrition under CASCADE, Milly also prioritized food security at home. She began using part of her maize harvest for home consumption, ensuring her children had daily access to healthy meals. The milk from her heifer added a vital protein source to their diet, contributing to a noticeable improvement in their energy and health.

The results were incredible. Within four months, Milly harvested 35 bags of maize – far more than she had ever grown before. She sold 15 bags to make money and used the profits to buy more goats. Her livestock also began producing milk and giving birth, creating even more income.

“Before PDM, I had land but with limited resources to cultivate it. Now I have seeds, animals and hope. I am no longer a beggar, I am an inspiration to the community,” Milly says proudly. Her transformation reflects the economic and social empowerment of rural women when given the tools, trust, and training.

The program also supported men in the community, like 59-year-old Yuventino Odongo, a father of six. For years, Yuventino had struggled to support his family through small-scale farming and casual labour taking on any temporary work he could find, like construction or farm work for other people.

This kind of work is tough and unreliable. Some days there would be work, other days there wouldn’t be. The pay was low and it was physically demanding. Yuventino wanted something better for his family but didn’t know how to break out of this cycle.

When Madoline identified Yuventino as someone who could benefit from the program, she helped him join the same savings group as Milly. He also received a 1-million-shilling loan and training on how to use it effectively. While the primary aim was empowering women, inclusive support ensured shared prosperity and balanced household decision-making.

Yuventino decided to focus on poultry farming raising chickens and turkeys. He used his loan to buy young birds, build proper shelters for them and purchase vaccines and feed to keep them healthy.

Within six months, Yuventino’s turkey flock had grown to over 24 birds. During peak seasons, he could sell mature turkeys for 90,000 to 120,000 shillings each (about $25-33). His chicken business also grew to over 30 birds, giving him a steady income from selling eggs and chickens.

Yuvention feeding his birds.

“I used to admire poultry farmers from a distance. With PDM, I became one and even better, I now train others. I believe poverty can be defeated if we use opportunities well,” Yuventino explains. His success allowed him to stop doing casual labour and focus on his farming business. He even began teaching other men in the community how to raise poultry.

This story from Adwoa Parish represents one of many similar transformations occurring across CASCADE’s implementation areas. By linking 1,404 farmers to government programs across Acholi and Tooro regions, CASCADE demonstrates how community-based facilitation creates sustainable pathways out of poverty while strengthening local institutional capacity.

As CASCADE continues to strengthen its impact, this story from Adwoa Parish serves as powerful evidence that community-based facilitation, strategic government partnerships and targeted investments in women’s agricultural leadership can break the cycles of poverty and create lasting pathways to prosperity for rural communities in Northern Uganda. It reaffirms that investing in women’s leadership, inclusive training, and equitable access to resources is not only fair, it is transformative.

The Author is the Agronomy Officer at AfrII