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When ISF’s nearly 30-year work in Uganda ended in 2016, many feared that years of achievements would quickly disappear. The development cooperation cuts by Juha Sipilä’s government at the time forced the organization to scale back its operations, and work in Uganda was shut down. Now, nearly ten years later, the residents of the Luwano region prove otherwise. The legacy of the cows still lives on, both concretely and strongly.
Work in Uganda began in 1987 amid the country’s reconstruction. The Luwano region is located about one hundred kilometers from the capital city, Kampala, and had been emptied following the recently ended war. The women and their children returning there needed all the support possible to build a new life. ISF decided to focus on supporting the women.
“There were many women-headed households in the area because the men had died in the war,” says Helena Laukko, who led the work started in Uganda during its first years. The National Resistance Movement’s women’s secretariat became a partner, and close cooperation with the local administration made the work in the region possible.
The core idea was simple but effective: each participating woman received a pregnant cow along with training on how to care for it. The women were required to commit to giving the first calf to the next woman, who would then become part of the chain. The recipient of the calf was chosen at the same time the pregnant cow was handed over, making the wellbeing of each cow a shared responsibility of the entire community.
“It was important to choose as starters women who had the ability and willingness to make good use of the new opportunity,” Laukko says.
The cow project was much more than just livestock farming. Women learned new skills, started businesses, and built a future for themselves. Many used the income from their first cows to build a house or pay for their children’s education.
“At first, I wondered why many bought a suit with their first earnings,” Laukko says. “Eventually, I understood that the suit was a symbol of financial independence. For many, it was the first piece of clothing a woman had bought herself, not received as a gift.”
The veterinarian hired to the project played a key role in achieving the goals. “She was the backbone of the entire initiative,” Laukko emphasizes. The veterinarian supported the women not only by ensuring the cows’ health but also by helping educate the community.
“For many women, this was their first opportunity to invest in the future. Some continued with livestock farming, while others started completely new businesses,” says veterinarian Dr. Lumbuye, who was involved in the work for over ten years.
Not everyone succeeded. Some women lost their animals to illness or theft. But for most, the cow was the initial push toward a better life.
In 2024, Helena Laukko returned to Luwano to meet the women involved in the work in Uganda. The impact was lasting and clearly visible.
“I met ten women who shared how the income from the cows changed their families’ lives,” Laukko says. “Children’s education has been supported all the way to university, new houses have been built, and women have started businesses.”
When the work in Uganda began, a total of 62 pregnant cows were distributed to the women, and within ten years, the number of cows owned by women had grown to over 150.
“Looking at the Luwano region today, it is clear that the women’s work has borne fruit. This project was not just carrying water to a well — it was the foundation upon which the women built their future,” Laukko says.
The Luwano cow project is a living example of how development cooperation can produce long-lasting results. When communities are given the tools for independent action, the work can continue even after external support ends.
“This was more than a project – it was a new beginning for the women and the entire community after the war,” Laukko notes.
Alice Nabowa, a 73-year-old widow, kept her cow for eight years before passing it on to the next woman. She loved the animal and cared for it even before herself. The income from the cow made it possible to educate all seven of her children — the eldest became a doctor. In addition, Nabowa started a mushroom farm, still raises chickens, and lives in her new home equipped with solar power.
City Kyobe, a 77-year-old mother of three, received her own cow in the early 1990s. Thanks to the cow, she built a new, safe home for her family. Kyobe kept the cow as long as her children lived at home and helped take care of it. The stability the cow brought made everyday life easier and offered the children future opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have had.
Now 58-year-old Bety Kironde Muyima was a young mother when she received her own cow. The cow provided the family with milk and income, which they used to build a house. In the post-war poverty, the income from the cow was the family’s only source of livelihood and helped the children go to school. After ten years, the family gave up the cow and its offspring, having successfully saved enough to start farming.
Proscovia Nalongo, a mother of ten and grandmother of fourteen who recently became a widow, used the income from her cow to build a new home for her family. After eight years, she sold her original cow but still keeps two of its offspring. Nowadays, she also grows coffee. She has passed on two calves to help other women get started. The income from the milk made it possible for her children to attend school and receive vocational training, and there was still milk left for the children to drink.
Viestintäpäällikkö
045 635 2883
saara.manelius@solidaarisuus.fi
11.06.2025 Saara Manelius
10.06.2025
27.05.2025
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