Widows' Gardens Project

Living Hope’s Widows’ Gardens Project (WGP) is a ministry whose goal is to provide Ugandan widows with the means to access land for food production.

The idea is simple: each widow is given seeds and the use of three leased plots (60 yds x 20 yds each which roughly equals ¾ acre) for two growing seasons (i.e. one year). This should be enough land to feed and clothe her family as well as to provide the cash needed to renew the leases annually with individual landowners. The Project has focused first on the communities of Iryango and Kikagati in southwestern Uganda. The first intake of widows numbered 91.  These began planting beans, maize, millet, and sorghum in February 2017. When we enquired recently, all 91 widows had been able to renew their three leases. The widows who began in February 2018 numbered 61. The widows who will begin in February 2019 number 209. This means that the Project has now provided the opportunity for ongoing food security to all 361 widows registered to the self-help groups we partnered within 3 intakes (half the time we originally budgeted).

For the next three years the Project will move on to widows’ groups in other southwestern Ugandan communities. Currently, it costs about $216 in seeds and land leases to provide food security to a widow and her dependents.

The WGP Volunteer Project Officer is accompanied to Uganda each October by a small team of interested individuals who assist with the interviews of prospective participants. The application deadline to join the Uganda team each year is March 31st. The total cost of under $5000 for each traveler covers the basics for 19 nights (airfare, in-country transportation, accommodation, and meals). This schedule allows for an optional 3-5 day visit to one or more of Uganda's excellent game parks at an additional cost.