53-year-old woman in Kashari, Mbarara District, has emerged as a model of climate-smart entrepreneurship, after using a Shs 1.5 million loan from the Emyooga program to build a 50,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank that now supplies clean water to her poultry farm and surrounding households.
Lilian Kiconco, a former banana vendor, used the funds borrowed from the Kashari South Market Vendors SACCO under the Presidential Initiative on Job and Wealth Creation (Emyooga) to turn chronic water scarcity in her community into a sustainable business opportunity.
“This tank has changed everything. It’s my bank, my business, and my blessing,” Kiconco said. “I serve my poultry farm and sell surplus water to neighbors at an affordable rate.”
Her innovation, rooted in both economic empowerment and climate adaptation, is being celebrated nationally. On the same day Kiconco’s project was highlighted, SACCO leaders from the Teso, Acholi, and Lango subregions toured Mbarara to benchmark its high-performing Emyooga groups.
Robson Ogwal, chairperson of Kole South Produce Dealers SACCO, called Kiconco’s work a “real example of community empowerment” that blends financial discipline, climate awareness, and entrepreneurship.
The visiting leaders also studied Kinoni and Rwanyamahembe SACCOs—local financial institutions that have grown into rural credit hubs. These SACCOs have embraced Green Finance, supporting ventures like rainwater harvesting, solar energy, and sustainable agriculture.
“We fund projects that address both economic and environmental challenges,” said Kinoni SACCO General Manager Merab Katushabe. “We’re banking on the future.”
Retansio Muganzi, General Manager of Rwanyamahembe SACCO, said their model now includes environmental impact as a key factor in loan approvals. “If your project helps the environment, you move up the queue,” he noted.
SACCO representatives from northern Uganda described the experience as transformative. “We’ve been focused on profit, but here they think in terms of sustainability and legacy,” said Joseph Ocen, a delegate from Lango.
Launched in 2019, the Emyooga initiative was designed to boost household incomes and job creation through sector-specific SACCOs. While the program has faced challenges elsewhere, Mbarara is being held up as a model of innovation and success—particularly in climate mitigation.
Kiconco says she now plans to expand into vegetable farming using drip irrigation. “With a little help, a little water, and a lot of heart, anyone can rise,” she said.
As Uganda grapples with climate change and unemployment, the Mbarara model offers a promising roadmap for grassroots-driven development.
