Empowerment & Opportunity
Our Women’s Agricultural Cooperative empowers women in rural communities by equipping them with essential skills in agriculture, financial management, nutrition, and livestock care. Its goals center around promoting self-reliance, improved household health, and financial independence, enabling mothers to pay school fees, especially for girls.
About the Women's Agricultural Cooperative
In Kabale District, Uganda, women face systemic barriers to economic opportunity—barriers that directly affect girls’ education. Most rely on subsistence farming, informal labor, and group savings to survive, often lacking the financial autonomy or agricultural resources needed to support their families long-term. This economic strain can lead to girls being pulled from school, while boys’ education is prioritized.
Rukundo International’s Women’s Empowerment Program addresses this intersection of poverty and gender inequality through hands-on training in backyard gardening, goat rearing, financial literacy, and small business development. A cornerstone of the program is goat ownership—a powerful asset in this rural setting. Goats provide manure for gardens, multiply quickly, and generate income with minimal input. Women participate in a sustainable cycle of giving, passing on goat kids to expand opportunity for others.
Graduates now own an average of four goats and have launched small businesses, built kitchens, and improved their families’ nutrition, stability, and health. One year post-graduation, 70% retained their goats, average income increased by 76%, and fewer women worked weekends—enabling more time for family and civic participation.
More importantly, empowered women become advocates for their daughters’ futures. They’re more likely to pay school fees, challenge gender norms, and serve as role models in their communities. Each goat, garden, and savings circle helps rewrite the narrative for women and girls—ensuring not just survival, but transformation.
Together, we’re not just helping women thrive—we’re changing what’s possible for future generations.
Impacts of the Women's Co-op
- Improved nutrition for families and students
- Supplemental income for families
- Improved entrepreneurship skills
- Projects are designed to be self-sustaining
program spotlight
Kate is a 43 year-old widow that takes care of seven children: four of her own and three kids from her sister. She received her goat in October, 2019 when Rukundo started to distribute these animals to the vulnerable women within the Kyanamira community around Rukundo’s school. Kate’s goat already produced two kids.
“Rukundo International has put a smile on my face. Being so poor, I never expected to have a domestic animal. The goat keeps my children busy! My children would go to other people’s farms to look after their cattle, not for money, but due to the desire to take care of an animal. Also, since we’ve got the goat, the manure has helped to improve our field. We have more planted vegetables now and better nutrition for my children and I.”
Kate
What We Need
Program Spotlight
“I received a goat from Rukundo International in October 2019, and it has transformed my whole family. Before receiving the goat, I faced many challenges in getting my garden fertile to plant vegetables. But after eight months of using the goat’s manure, I can finally plant and see my vegetables growing. I also sold part of the goat’s manure to local farmers who also wished to improve their gardens, as most gardens in Kyanamira are infertile. With that money, I was able to buy vegetable seedlings to plant in my homestead. After my goat produces its first kids, I hope to get more manure to expand my vegetable garden. This will also help me pay school fees for my grandchildren and meet my other family needs.”