We are in Matovu parish, Nankoma County in Bugiri district, Uganda. Former tractor operator Mwanje James operates a maize sheller and hosts hermetic storage demonstrations. Thanks to the village savings and loan association (VSLA), he started operating his machine by providing shelling services to farmers. Out of that he made a good income, his standard of living improved and his children are studying in private schools.

He said: “All thanks to the support and knowledge I got from SG 2000. Since SG 2000 came to my life, I have achieved so many things. My family used to eat a meal a day, and now we are eating three meals a day. I own this walking tractor both for ploughing and using its engine. I operate a maize sheller. I have built a house and a store where I’m currently storing 10 metric tons of maize. I have now constructed 12 rooms in my quarters”.

Waibi Mande is also one of SG 2000 early intervention farmers. He said his association with SG 2000 gave him the knowledge and skills for modern farming, and value addition. He started with SG 2000 in 1998 as a block farmer. He continued farming and bought machines for value addition. “At first I was a trader and I saw that the business was not moving well. Then I met one of the SG 2000 extension workers and sought advice. The extension worker advised me that, if I grow maize and I use fertilizer and pesticide, then I would increase yield. I started with one acre and got a good yield. I now farm, seven acres harvesting 110 bags. I understood that by growing this maize and selling to the traders without value addition, I was losing some money. So I bought a maize mill. I now get maize flour and maize grain to feed the poultry.”