CLEAR Supply Chains project in Uganda
Training of trainers for coffee farmers under the Women’s Leadership and Empowerment Programme (WLEP) in Kalungu district, Uganda
The CLEAR Supply Chains project trained female coffee famers in Kalungu district, in Uganda, on women’s leadership and empowerment.
9 January 2025
KAMPALA, Uganda (ILO News) - The CLEAR Supply Chains project is piloting the Women’s Leadership and Empowerment Programme (WLEP) in Kalungu district (Uganda). The programme aims to enable women coffee farmers develop and harness their leadership and technical skills. This initiative, running over a four-month cycle, will mentor women from cooperatives and farmer groups to take up leadership roles within their communities.
The objective of the programme is to improve the supervisory and management skills of women and to equip them with tools and knowledge to support their fellow female coffee farmers in taking up a more active participation and representation in their communities.
The programme began with a local needs assessment in October 2024, involving focus group discussions with 31 coffee farmers (19 women and 12 men) from Lwabenge sub-county. These discussions, organized by the CLEAR Supply Chains project team (ILO and FAO), in collaboration with ILO colleagues from the SIRAYE programme in Ethiopia and representatives of the Uganda chapter of the International Women Coffee Alliance (IWCA), gathered the insights on the development of a WLEP in Kalungu district.
One focus group comprised of 19 women coffee farmers and the other of 12 men, who were serving in management roles within six coffee cooperatives and farmer groups. The participants expressed a desire for training in topics such as gender, financial literacy, improved agronomic practices, leadership and communication skills, among others.
The ILO and FAO teams also visited three coffee farms of Mrs. Visencia Walugembe, Ms. Margaret Nankoba and Ms. Josephine Birungi of Busoga Cooperative in Kyamulibwa sub-county, Kalungu district, to assess the workplace environment and gather information to prepare the training materials of the programme.
Following the assessment, a four-day training of trainers was help from 10th to 13th December at Kalungu district headquarters. Sixteen participants (12 women and 4 men), along with two representatives from the International Women Coffee Alliance (IWCA), received training on various topics, including manager’s roles and responsibilities, qualities of a good leader, financial literacy, gender roles and equality, harassment and violence prevention, productivity and driving factors, and farm workers’ rights and responsibilities. The training employed diverse techniques such as classroom sessions, role plays, group discussions, and the use of games and practical situations to ensure comprehensive understanding.
The training was well-received, with participants eager to return to their cooperatives and farmer groups to share the new knowledge and skills. The next steps will include a refresher and coaching session in February 2025, where trained farmers will be guided on delivering training sessions to their peers. Continuous mentoring and coaching will be provided by ILO and IWCA mentors throughout the programme’s duration.
This initiative marks a significant step towards empowering female coffee farmers in Kalungu district, fostering greater participation and representation in their cooperatives and farmer groups.
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