Located in Aliba sub-county, Chikamiri Youth Group brings together 30 young people consisting of 15 women and 15 men. The group was formed in 2024 with a shared ambition to improve household incomes, create employment opportunities and build a more secure future through agriculture. At the time, members were mainly cassava farmers cultivating about eight acres of cassava and two acres of maize. They also operated a modest Village Savings and Loan Association, using weekly savings to support one another with small loans for household and livelihood needs.

Despite their commitment, the group’s growth was constrained by limited storage, lack of transport, and absence of value-addition equipment. These gaps made it difficult to bulk produce, reach better markets, reduce post-harvest losses or earn more from their crops.

The turning point came when ForAfrika, with support from the World Food Programme under the Agriculture Market Support (AMS) Initiative, supported the group with an aggregation centre, a milling machine, a tricycle and agricultural inputs. The support directly addressed the barriers that had kept the group at subsistence level and opened new pathways for business growth.

The aggregation centre now enables the group to collect, store and manage produce from members and neighbouring farmers. This has strengthened their capacity to trade in larger volumes. The milling machine has created an additional income stream while providing affordable milling services to the community. The tricycle has reduced transport costs for the group and become a reliable source of income through transport services offered to local farmers and community members.

Between December 2025 and April 2026, the group earned UGX 3,680,000 (approximately USD 978) from produce aggregation, UGX 4,800,000 (approximately USD 1,276) from tricycle transport services and UGX 1,700,000 (approximately USD 452) from milling operations.

Today, Chikamiri Youth Group has diversified in savings and lending, crop production, produce aggregation, milling and transport. Members have also received training in business development and financial management, helping them manage their investments more effectively and plan for growth.

The group’s financial progress is equally striking. In 2024, cumulative savings stood at UGX 1,230,000 (approximately USD 326). By May 2026, this had increased to UGX 3,761,000 (approximately USD 1,000), representing growth of more than 200%. The group also accumulated UGX 10,180,000 (approximately USD 2,706) for lending to members, enabling them to invest in small businesses, meet household needs, pay school fees and strengthen food security.

Looking ahead, Chikamiri Youth Group plans to acquire an additional 10 acres for cassava production, expand aggregation volumes, introduce poultry farming at household and group levels, and apply tiered storage pricing for members and non-members.