Silivia Auma, a 29-year-old agripreneur from Busia County, is an inspiration to young women in her community. Her compelling story is one of overcoming limiting sociocultural perceptions and practices to build a successful enterprise in African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs).
In 2017, the parent of three children resolved to venture into ALVs business after seeing opportunities in it. The start-up capital required was modest while the return on investment would only be a matter of few weeks and months, not years. However, her journey in agribusiness proved to be more challenging than she imagined.
My spouse was initially reluctant to let me use a small portion of his maize farm to grow vegetables. He didn’t think it would be worthwhile. He preferred that I focus on raising our children. After several attempts to persuade him, he finally gave me a chance to prove myself, she recalls.
Silivia put in all her efforts to make the business succeed. She couldn’t afford to fail. Fortunately, the enterprise picked up momentum. Every morning, people would come to the farm to buy her vegetables.
“Thanks to the business, family income improved steadily. I earned the admiration and support of my spouse. He even allocated me more land to grow ALVs,” she says proudly.
As her enterprise grew steadily, Silivia felt more respected and loved within her young family and the community. She also felt proud supporting her spouse in meeting the family’s financial needs.
In April 2023, the energetic agripreneur joined the Resilient Agriculture that Works for Young People (RAY) Project as a mentor and gender champion. She received hands-on training in gender empowerment, business management, regenerative agriculture, mentorship and land leasing, among others. She also became part of a network of established and emerging agripreneurs in Busia County under RAY.
As a gender champion, Silivia uses the story of her agribusiness journey to encourage and inspire others, especially women and persons with disabilities, to overcome negative sociocultural beliefs standing in their way.
I have visited many homes and persuaded fathers and spouses to allow their daughters or partners to use family land for agribusiness or support them to lease land elsewhere. I have succeeded in most cases. I find a lot of fulfilment in that. I thank the RAY Project for providing this platform she says.
Apart from advocating for women, Silvia has also seen her business expand further since joining the RAY Programme.
“I manage my business more effectively now, thanks to the various trainings I have received, including record keeping. I have also leased land to grow more ALVs. I have used formal land leasing documents facilitated by RAY to secure my rights during the lease. Previously, I avoided leasing land due to uncertainties,” she says.
The agripreneur maximizes her ALV production on limited space by using technologies such as raised beds, keyhole gardens, conical gardens and mandala gardens.
Looking to the future, Silivia aims to expand into poultry production to grow her income. She sees untapped opportunities in it and is inspired by her peers under RAY who are doing well in poultry. Silivia also mentors twenty young people on ALV business including thirteen women.