Introduction

Empowering the youth like Gaayi Derrick gives us satisfaction and a sense of vision realization. Gaayi is a 24-year-old tractor operator at Farm Uganda.

Gaayi a resident of Bukuya in Kassanda district had been doing different odd jobs to cater to him and his family. He got a chance to learn basic tractor driving from another operator who would come into the area to open land for some farmers.

Farm Uganda finally acquired land in the area and started operations. Since we also had gotten our first tractor, we needed tractor operators, and hiring them on a per-job basis quickly proved costly.

Job opportunity

The first operators we got with “experience” were not honest and would disappoint and sometimes not come to work after the client has paid his/her money.

Someone who had seen tractors at the farm told Gaayi and he came looking for a job opportunity or at least an apprenticeship to hone his tractor driving skills.

Gaayi was given a practical interview which he passed and started operating the tractors at Farm Uganda starting on the parent farm.

This was to establish his skill level before he is sent to client farms.

Empowering the youth through Saving and Investment

He excelled and has been an integral part of our tractor hire service because of his workmanship, skill, and honesty.

Gaayi has exhibited a trait uncommon in the youth nowadays and that is saving.

With the salary that he has been getting from Farm Uganda, he bought a plot of land in 2018 and started depositing material on the site to start building a house.

With a pregnant wife, his family was about to expand and they needed a home.

Home, Sweet Home

As we write this, Gaayi and the wife are already in their completed home and they are renting out the second apartment for additional income.

As Farm Uganda, we are honored to have played a role in empowering the youth like Gaayi to deliver a home for his family and to have had the chance to cross paths with such an inspiring, hardworking and honest young man.

Gratitude to our partners

To all our dear partners especially Tricord Global, we are eternally grateful and it’s because of your visionary contributions that we are able to transform lives like we did with Gaayi and more transformative stories are being written because community transformation is a core part of our vision.