Thriving in Horticulture, Uganda

Asante Africa students in rural East Africa embarked on a venture growing and selling produce in the midst of the global pandemic. Students of Ssingo vocational and secondary school were affected by school closures, but when candidate classes resumed, they put their entrepreneurial skills to use and came up with the idea to grow and sell eggplants and green peppers. Their business quickly became a success.

In Uganda, eggplants offer an excellent substitute to fresh beans for communities during the dry seasons. In addition to their high nutritional value, they can generate a substantial amount of income for those who sell them locally. These ambitious youth enhanced their agricultural skills and business management practices by learning how to analyze the performance of crops in terms of yielding and market requirements. For instance, the students were able to establish that “Long Purple” eggplants and “California Wonder” green peppers are better varieties to grow as they are relatively inexpensive to purchase and they mature in just three to four months. Through their diligent efforts, the students have been able to feed their community as well as share their newfound horticultural knowledge in the pay-it-forward spirit.