At 65 years old, Geoffrey Kyombe, a smallholder farmer from Cana Village in Paidha Sub-county, Zombo District in Uganda believed farming was simply a way to survive. 

Like many farmers in his community, for decades, he relied on traditional farming practices that were becoming increasingly unreliable as climate change affected rainfall patterns, reduced soil fertility, and diminished crop yields. 

Harvests were often just enough to feed his family, and earning meaningful income from farming seemed beyond reach.

In February 2025, Geoffrey joined Women's Livelihood and Climate Smart Agriculture Project although it primarily targeted women smallholder farmers.  

“Geoffrey actively participated as a household member and quickly embraced the project's vision of building resilient farming systems through the Climate Resilient Agro-Ecological Model (CRAEM). He received practical training in Good Agronomic Practices (GAP), the Gender Action Learning System (GALS), agro forestry, water harvesting and agroecological farming techniques, including how to produce organic pesticides and fertilizers using locally available materials.”

The low-cost innovations not only reduced his dependence on expensive agricultural inputs but also improved the health of his crops and soils as he invested in horticulture crops.

The first change Geoffrey made was to establish a kitchen garden next to his home. He began growing a variety of nutritious local vegetables that his family had previously struggled to access. 

They used to rely on seasonal wild vegetables, many of which had become increasingly scarce due to effects of climate change. 

Today, fresh vegetables are readily available at home, improving the family's diet and this has reduced household expenditure on food.

Encouraged by these early successes, Geoffrey decided to think beyond household consumption. Applying the knowledge gained from the training, he converted a modest 20-by-30-metre plot into a commercial horticulture garden, planting tomatoes (Paddy Man variety), cabbages, and other vegetables using climate-smart farming practices. The results surprised even him.

“The highest income I had ever earned from one harvest was less than UGX 500,000. From my first tomato harvest alone, I earned nearly UGX 1,000,000. That gave me the confidence to believe that farming can truly be a business”

Kyombe Geoffrey
Farmer

The additional income has significantly improved Geoffrey's household. He has been able to pay school fees for his children, meet other household needs, and increase his savings. 

More importantly, he now plans his farming activities as investments rather than seasonal routines, carefully selecting crops with strong market demand while applying the climate-smart practices he has learned.

With growing confidence in his farming enterprise, Geoffrey has continued to expand. He recently rented three additional acres of land where he established a cassava plantation, which he expects will further strengthen his household's food security and provide another reliable source of income when harvested to realize his vision he articulated in the Vision Road Journey as he was trained in GALS.

Looking back, Geoffrey says the project changed more than his farming techniques. It changed his mindset. He now sees agriculture as a profitable and resilient enterprise capable of improving livelihoods despite the challenges posed by climate change.

The Women's Livelihood and Climate Smart Agriculture Project is implemented in Zombo in Cana andKaya parishes by the Agency for Community Empowerment (AFCE) in partnership with Oxfam in Uganda, with funding from Budish Global Relief (BGR).