Eugenia Saini is currently FONTAGRO’s Executive Secretary. FONTAGRO is the Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology. She leads the investment fund and a portfolio of 70 international operations related to science, technology, and innovation for the Latin America and the Caribbean region. She is from Argentina and is an agronomist by training. She holds a doctorate in agricultural sciences, specializing in total factor productivity analysis. One of her seminal works in this field was the estimation of 120 years of TFP for the agricultural sector in Argentina. She is also a National Public Accountant and holds an MS in Food and Agribusiness and an MS in Applied Economics, both from Universidad de Buenos Aires. She has worked in the private and public sectors, both nationally and internationally, especially in multilateral banks. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship at Cornell University and, more recently, with the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy (AILA) Scholarship at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY: In Uganda’s Nyabyumba village, Sarah Tushabomwe and Denis Mwegisire transformed their struggling farm through the BRIGHT program, led by IFDC with support from the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Using the program’s Participatory Integrated Planning approach, they adopted soil and water conservation practices, improved seed and pest management, and diversified their crops. Yields and income rose significantly, enabling investments in nutrition, livestock, and education. Through the Nyabyumba Farmers Cooperative, they accessed inputs on credit and secured better market prices. With renewed confidence and a thriving farm, Sarah and Denis are steadily turning their vision for a resilient future into reality.
Married couple Sarah Tushabomwe and Denis Mwegisire long dreamed of improving their household farm in the Nyabyumba village of Uganda. As of two years a
go, healthy soils, higher farm productivity, and better market accessseemed out of reach. The couple struggled with declining soil fertility caused by erosion, which led to low yields and a meager income. Meeting daily needs and paying their children’s school fees were constant challenges.
“Our production was decreasing,” Sarah recounted. “We would put in a lot of energy to get a good harvest, but ultimately, we got less.”
Sarah and Denis lacked information on erosion and soil nutrient replenishment. They did not apply manure, nor could they afford fertilizers. Use of uncertified potato seeds made these crops vulnerable; and without pest and disease control, yields declined even more.
When the Building Resilience and Inclusive Growth of Highland farming systems for rural Transformation (BRIGHT) program, implemented by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, initiated activities in their village, Sarah and Denis were introduced to farming practices that helped fill these gaps.
Through BRIGHT’s Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP) approach, Sarah and Denis created a vision board to develop a shared plan, engaged in training on soil and water conservation, and received quality farm inputs to increase yields, crop nutrition, and more.
Since joining BRIGHT, Sarah and Denis have made substantial improvements to their farm. They have raised their income by selling eggplants and pumpkins and expanding their banana production. Their diets have also become more diverse with fruits and vegetables, including gooseberry, tree tomato, and cabbage, harvested from their kitchen garden.
Thanks to new soil and water conservation structures, such as elephant grass barriers, erosion has been significantly reduced. The elephant grass also provides fodder for their livestock, boosting manure production. Manure use has greatly improved yields: the bananas they now harvest are noticeably larger.
Planting certified potato seeds in rows has resulted in a 50% harvest increase while reducing production costs, and alongside a spray program, disease and pest prevalence has decreased.
Sarah and Denis’s farm has also benefited from their training on post-harvest handling, including proper storage to protect produce from pests and improve its quality and shelf life. They have also begun keeping farm records to track their business.
Additionally, IFDC and project partner Agriterra have linked Sarah and Denis to the Nyabyumba Farmers Cooperative, which offers seeds, fertilizers, and chemicals on credit, repaid after harvest. The pair also aggregate and sell their produce through the cooperative, securing better market prices.
Sarah and Denis are proud of the transformation they have achieved. They can now comfortably pay their children’s school fees and strengthen their farming enterprise together.
As they review their vision board after so much progress, Sarah and Denis are confident that it is only a matter of time before all their plans become reality.