Graduation inspires new directions for farmers in Mitooma
Graduation ceremonies usually feature gowns, speeches, and formal celebrations. However, in rural Mitooma District of Uganda, graduation symbolises transformation, enabling households to analyse their current situations, articulate their visions, and plan concrete steps toward improved livelihoods.
The recent Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) graduation ceremony under the Inclusive Livestock Development for Smallholder Farmers Project (INCLUDE) showcased what happens when communities begin to think differently about their futures.
In Kabira and Buharambo communities, thriving vegetable gardens, mulched coffee plantations, well-maintained pastures, and farmers teaching one another have replaced subsistence farming.
For the communities in Mitooma, graduation is not an end, but a moment when knowledge translates into deliberate action aimed at enhancing food security, improving incomes, and building resilience.
A group of farmers, government representatives, REBDA, SNV, political leaders, and MAAIF teams at the Buharambo PIP community graduation ceremony
From vision to action: How PIP took root in Mitooma
The PIP approach, implemented in the district by Reign Business Development Agency (REBDA) in partnership with SNV, began with farmers reflecting on their current household situations and then creating pictorial household visions that depicted what they wanted to achieve over the next three to five years. These simple, visual drawings help each household member understand their goals and identify what needs to change.
We realised that having a vision is important, and so is creating an action plan.
shared one of the graduates
Supported by the community vision committee (CVC), farmers implemented their action plans to identify community priorities. Roads used by farmers to access markets, schools, and health facilities were improved. Water sources were restored. The production and use of organic manure became common practice. In the process, the community built a shared sense of confidence for scaling PIP to more households.
In total, 30 selected PIP Innovators (PIs) each mentored around 10 farmers, deepening collaboration and strengthening local leadership.
According to the Parish Chief of Kabira, the PIs helped bridge the gap between farmers, extension staff, and local leaders, adding that many farmers in the INCLUDE initiative now benefit from the Parish Development Model, as their progress is visible and organised.
CVC Secretary Miria Tumuhairwe emphasised that PIP was the moment “where actions move from dreams to reality,” as households in Buharambo began to put their plans into action.
The Chief Administrative Officer, Mitooma district, handing over certificates of achievement to the farmers
Farmers share their transformations
Many farmers took the graduation as an opportunity to reflect on their journeys.
Eunice Kyomuhangi, admits she initially joined the training out of curiosity. By the third visit, however, her perspective had changed. Today, she and her husband make plans together with their four children. Their vision includes building a better house, installing a water tank, and improving sanitation. Her coffee production has increased from a few cherries to two bags, with a target of ten. She interplants sweet potato vines to provide fodder for her pigs and grows pasture for her goats along the edges of her garden, small but strategic adjustments informed by her household plan.
For PIP innovator Francis Bigirwa, the change he experienced in just one year was remarkable: his herd increased from three goats to eight, his coffee harvest jumped from seven to twenty basins, and his banana plants became stronger and more productive. The key difference, he explained, was planning: “INCLUDE helped me understand where I was, what I wanted, and what I needed to do first.”
Even elderly farmers and youth expressed renewed motivation. Seventy-one-year-old Paulina Kenyangi encouraged young people to “use their hands while they still have the energy,” reflecting on how planning has helped her achieve things she once thought were impossible. A youth farmer commented that the PIP methods and plans were simple and practical, and he intends to implement a kitchen garden to enhance his household’s nutrition.
Local leaders recognise the shift
Local leaders recongised this transformation. The District Production Officer noted that when households understand their situation, planning becomes clearer and easier.
The Member of Parliament for Ruhinda South acknowledged that INCLUDE aligns with the Government of Uganda’s Parish Development Model, a principle of household enterprise development. He urged farmers to continue using local materials, invest in their children’s futures, and remain committed to their household visions.
A new beginning for Mitooma and beyond
Similar PIP graduations are taking place in Busoga, Rwenzori, and Kigezi, each milestone marking a step toward resilient livelihoods.
For farmers in Mitooma, this graduation symbolised more than just the end of training; it marked the beginning of a new chapter characterised by clearer plans and enhanced skills.
Through PIP, households are not just dreaming; they are planning and acting towards building a resilient future.
Read individual stories
The graduation brought together many farmers to celebrate their new learnings. Curious about the individual impact?