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From Our Chief Programs Officer: Peace Is Sustained Through Economic Empowerment in Uganda

  • Edna Ogwangi

on  July 22, 2026

Introduction from the editor: At Rise Against Hunger, we know that lasting change is built alongside communities through locally led solutions that address the root causes of hunger. During a recent visit to Northern Uganda, Chief Programs Officer Edna Ogwangi saw firsthand how our partnership with Love Mercy Foundation is helping women and their families strengthen food security and resilience through the Cents for Seeds project. Continue reading for her reflections on the power of economic empowerment, clean water and community-driven initiatives to help sustain peace and build brighter futures.

Every day, I remind myself to remain curious, adaptable and deeply connected to those we serve — the individuals who trust us to provide support and help restore their dignity and hope.

Throughout my career as a humanitarian practitioner, I have witnessed the evolving metrics of survival within the communities I have served. However, in conflict zones, the harsh reality of life strips away all pretenses. Lira, a city in Northern Uganda, was devastated by civil war from 1985 to 2006. During that time, thousands were displaced and the clear-cut lines of strategic planning were often blurred by the immense human cost and the profound uncertainty facing the communities.

In May 2026, I had the privilege of returning to Lira through our partnership with the Love Mercy Foundation. We are partnering with the organization on the current phase of Cents for Seeds, Love Mercy’s flagship project that strengthens food security, climate resilience and gender equity in the region. This phase is reaching 4,350 women and their families through the implementation of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), income-generating activities, agroforestry and construction of new water sources. 

A striking impression from our visit was how fundamentally water shapes daily existence. As we traveled through several communities, it became clear that water insecurity is far more than an inconvenience; it is a systemic issue affecting health, household nutrition and school attendance. The time and distance women and children endure to collect water are staggering. 

We had the opportunity to launch newly constructed boreholes in one of the communities we visited. It provides the community with access to clean water and reduces the time spent and distance traveled looking for water. A 65-year-old woman we met shared that it was the first time in her life she had seen clean water, expressing her gratitude that the younger generation can now experience the blessing of a reliable supply.

Edna’s visit to Northern Uganda will stay with her forever. Watch the video above to see what inspired her!

In our line of work, we sometimes shy away from calculating the future because the logic is so stark. We speak of “acceptable costs,” yet those equations only hold until you look into the faces of the individuals represented in the data. Watching children simply being children — playing with water nearby rather than trekking miles to fetch it — served as a powerful reminder of my purpose. It reaffirmed that I must lead with the heart. Moments like these define my understanding of dignity, quiet courage and the hope found in the people I encounter.

The photograph above captures that essence: two children, ages four and six, with smiles that radiate pure joy as they enjoy a drink. They are just kids, playing and quenching their thirst with trust that this water will remain available for them and for the generations to follow.

Another profound aspect of our time in Uganda was witnessing the unwavering commitment of the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) members. Despite significant resource constraints, their dedication to securing a brighter future for their families was evident in every interaction. What may appear as an informal banking system is, in reality, a powerful catalyst for change — communities thriving, families innovating and opportunities being created every single day. These community-led initiatives serve as the foundation for sustainable growth and long-term resilience.

All these efforts embody the mission of Rise Against Hunger: helping underserved populations achieve food security and resilience through nutrition, education and economic empowerment, fueled by a global movement of dedicated volunteers and partners like you. 

If this story inspires you, we invite you to continue supporting this work. Your donation will help empower families, strengthen communities and create lasting pathways out of hunger.

About the Author

Edna Ogwangi is Rise Against Hunger's Chief Programs Officer.

Strength, Stability And Hope

The gift that filled Nelly’s table.

“We were yielding very little, and the crops could not sustain us the whole year,” Nelly remembers. As a mother of seven and a farmer with two decades of experience, the stress of inconsistent yields was all-consuming. A poor harvest not only strained her family financially, but also limited their own meals to just two a day. Their story reflects that of many in their fishing and farming village near a lake in the Karonga district of northern Malawi. Here, heavy rainfall makes conventional farming methods nearly impossible. The entire village is, quite literally, saturated in food insecurity — a reality that leaves families struggling to survive season after season without a dependable source of nourishment.

In 2019, Nelly began participating in Harvesting Prosperity and Resilience, a sustainable agriculture project implemented by Rise Against Hunger in partnership with the Foundation for Community Support Services (FOCUS). The project works with 3,100 smallholder farmers in Malawi’s Karonga and Mzimba districts to strengthen food and nutrition security by improving production methods, nutrition practices and household income.

Just one year later, Nelly was ready to expand the variety of crops on her farm. What land once only produced maize began to flourish with sesame, cowpeas, rice and groundnuts during the rainy season (summer), as well as maize and vegetables during the dry season (winter). Through climate-smart agriculture training, she learned new techniques like manure making, pit planting and mulching, crop rotation and intercropping. Equipped with these tools, Nelly’s farm began to thrive.

After the 2023–2024 growing season, she sold enough produce to purchase an ox cart. Her harvests in 2024-2025 season yielded over 500 pounds of crops, including 22 bags of groundnuts, seven bags of maize, 12 tins of sesame and three bags of rice. With this surplus, she was able to invest in a motorbike, which she now uses to transport African doughnuts (mandasi) that she cooks and sells — creating yet another source of income for her family.

The transformation reaches far beyond her finances. Nelly now has the stability to provide for her husband and children. “I am able to eat different food types, pay school fees for my children and fulfill the visions that I have made with my family,” she beams. “I am now sleeping peacefully without any fears of food or paying school fees for the children.”

Her leadership has also grown. Today, Nelly serves as a leader in the Harvesting Prosperity and Resilience project, teaching other farmers in her district to adopt climate-resilient, labor-saving practices. By sharing her knowledge, she is multiplying her impact — empowering her neighbors to experience the same transformation she has achieved.

Across Nelly’s community, food and economic security are on the rise. Lombani, a government extension officer for the region, explains, “I can see the community is being transformed in the sense that in the area, there is food, income and nutrition security. Development is also happening at the household level.”

Nelly reflects on what it means to invest in holistic programs that address the root causes of hunger: “We are now healthy people. Children are going to school after eating their breakfast, having high yields and different types of crops due to conservation agriculture practices. With the support from the project, we have food, and we can access other food items from the market after selling our produce.”

This is the gift that fills: a future full of stability, strength and hope. It fills tables with food, families with security and communities with the resources to thrive. It’s an investment in futures rooted in resilience and hope.