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Christine Mwanje Nabakiibi's Story - from banana’s to improved resilience

Updated: Apr 27




In the heart of Katete village, lives Christine Mwanje Nabakiibi, a resilient mother facing the challenges of providing for her family, including two sons and three granddaughters. Despite the hardships, Christine was determined to sustain her family. This proved difficult until she found support through the SSHJM Children in Need (CHIN) programme.


For over two decades, CHIN has provided support in Mukono District, particularly for communities reliant on agriculture and small enterprises. Many households supported are living in poverty and are caring for children with disabilities and malnourishment.


The CHIN programme aims to enhance food security and livelihoods by equipping farmers and groups with skills in Farming as a Business (FaaB), urban farming methods, and savings and credit programmes. Transitioning to climate-smart approaches like the use of Indigenous Micro-Organisms (IMO), cultivating drought-resistant crops, and implementing sustainable water harvesting techniques has empowered villagers to boost agricultural yields and generate income while ensuring nutritional sufficiency.


Christine's journey began with her struggle to make ends meet while doing manual labour in neighbours' gardens just to barely scrape by. However, there was a positive change in her life when she joined the CHIN programme through the Katete Development Initiative.


Guided by the programme's agricultural trainings, Christine diversified her income streams by establishing a banana plantation intercropped with a variety of vegetables, including Sukuma wiki, Nakati, Amaranthus, and cowpeas. She also revamped her piggery project, adopting modern urban farming practices like the Indigenous Micro-Organisms (IMO) system, which not only saved her time but also maintained a clean and disease-free environment for her pigs.


Through the savings and credit scheme facilitated by CHIN, Christine found a means to secure her family's future while also providing for their immediate needs. Her surplus produce not only meets her family's requirements but also contributes to their financial stability through sales.


Expressing her gratitude, Christine acknowledges CHIN for the invaluable training, saying, ‘​​“I deeply appreciate CHIN for coming and putting in effort to train me in banana management as well as IMO piggery system, which has saved a lot of my time as well as keep the place clean and disease free. I am able to save a lot of money that would have been spent on treating the pigs, I am also able to sell the matooke (green banana / plantain) and provide school fees and pay off medical bills as well as provide food to the family.”


Christine's story of resilience also reinforces the positive power of community-led initiatives. Through SSHJM-CHIN's support, she has not only secured her family's well-being but also emerged as an inspiration for others in her community striving for a better future.

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