Lucy tells her story of success with support from ActionAid.
A story of Change.
Mrs Ikwap Lucy aged 57 of Agule Village, Ominya Parish, Sub-county, Katakwi District is one of the women supported by ActionAid from 2002.
Lucy recalls her life before ActionAid, full of misery, hopelessness, and uncertainty. They survived on one meal a day, her children lacked clothing and quality education. That was around the period when the region suffered unrest brought about by the Karamojong cattle rustlers. She recalls feeding her children on potatoes and cassava leaves and tasting groundnuts was like finding gold.
She first started as a farmer in 2002 when AAIU supported her with 2 basins of groundnuts. Lucy purchased an acre of land and that season, her first harvest yielded about two bags, and as a way of building community livelihoods, she then passed on one bag to two other members of her group, who also planted. In the second season, she ploughed back one and harvested four bags. The two seasons convinced Lucy that farming was indeed the way to go. She has since slowly but steadily continued expanding her farm acreage each year.
Even though without professional training in Agriculture, Lucy’s skill has enabled her to educate all five of her children up to the level of University degrees, from a grass thatched house, she built a more permanent structure and now also owns a total of 170 cows.
Lucy was elected as a counselor, representing women at the sub-county, a position she has held for three consecutive terms. She also champions the gender equality agenda in her village where she fronts women rights. She has also mentored 5 women in her village to take leadership positions.
“As a woman, ActionAid has empowered me, and I don’t rely on my husband for everything. I pay my children’ school fees. The community accords me respect because I am a virtuous woman” She says with a smile.
