One of the driest seasons in recent years - and 138 farming households kept going. 🌱
The latest results from Namutumba Innovation Agriculture (NIA) tell a story that is not simply about bigger harvests.
A prolonged dry spell affected maize, beans and groundnuts, while intense sunshine damaged many pineapple gardens. Cassava proved more resilient, and an important lesson emerged from the fields: pineapple gardens where farmers had applied mulching techniques learned through NIA training survived the extreme conditions significantly better.
At the same time, the longer-term picture gives us reason for confidence.
Since 2019, NIA has grown from 77 to 138 farming households, while farmers have diversified from 7 to 9 crops. Coffee, pineapple, ginger and chilli now grow alongside traditional staples. Most importantly, productivity per acre has improved substantially over the years - including +115% for beans, +48% for groundnuts and +42% for cassava compared with the program's early years.
Agriculture is also connected to a wider system of community resilience. Today, 15 Village Savings and Loan groups bring together 685 members, 94% of them women, providing access to savings, loans, health and emergency funds.
These results remind us why resilience is not measured by whether difficulties occur. It is built through knowledge, diversification, cooperation and the capacity to adapt when they do.
Swipe through for an honest look at the season - the setbacks, the learning and the progress.
Namutumba Innovation Agriculture | Namutumba District, Uganda
#CoCuDi #Namutumba #Uganda #SustainableAgriculture #CommunityResilience #SmallholderFarmers #FoodSecurity #ClimateResilience #VSLA
The latest results from Namutumba Innovation Agriculture (NIA) tell a story that is not simply about bigger harvests.
A prolonged dry spell affected maize, beans and groundnuts, while intense sunshine damaged many pineapple gardens. Cassava proved more resilient, and an important lesson emerged from the fields: pineapple gardens where farmers had applied mulching techniques learned through NIA training survived the extreme conditions significantly better.
At the same time, the longer-term picture gives us reason for confidence.
Since 2019, NIA has grown from 77 to 138 farming households, while farmers have diversified from 7 to 9 crops. Coffee, pineapple, ginger and chilli now grow alongside traditional staples. Most importantly, productivity per acre has improved substantially over the years - including +115% for beans, +48% for groundnuts and +42% for cassava compared with the program's early years.
Agriculture is also connected to a wider system of community resilience. Today, 15 Village Savings and Loan groups bring together 685 members, 94% of them women, providing access to savings, loans, health and emergency funds.
These results remind us why resilience is not measured by whether difficulties occur. It is built through knowledge, diversification, cooperation and the capacity to adapt when they do.
Swipe through for an honest look at the season - the setbacks, the learning and the progress.
Namutumba Innovation Agriculture | Namutumba District, Uganda
#CoCuDi #Namutumba #Uganda #SustainableAgriculture #CommunityResilience #SmallholderFarmers #FoodSecurity #ClimateResilience #VSLA
What happens when design education shifts its center of gravity?
Instead of looking toward familiar Western references, a group of students and faculty from Shenkar Textile Design Dept. המחלקה לעיצוב טקסטיל שנקר שנקר - הנדסה עיצוב אמנות traveled to Kampala, Uganda—engaging deeply with local knowledge, materials, and cultural context through a collaborative program with Makerere University College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology Makerere University and CoCuDi Center.
At the heart of the course is bark cloth—an ancient, sustainable material made from the Mutuba tree. Working with it challenges fundamental assumptions about what textile is, and what it can become. It invites designers to move beyond industrial frameworks and engage with tradition, environment, and community as active partners in the creative process.
This initiative is not about transferring knowledge in one direction, but about building a shared space for learning—where material exploration, design thinking, and cross-cultural dialogue come together to shape new possibilities.
Proud to see this work featured in Portfolio Magazine, highlighting how design can expand when we are willing to shift perspective.
Read more:
Instead of looking toward familiar Western references, a group of students and faculty from Shenkar Textile Design Dept. המחלקה לעיצוב טקסטיל שנקר שנקר - הנדסה עיצוב אמנות traveled to Kampala, Uganda—engaging deeply with local knowledge, materials, and cultural context through a collaborative program with Makerere University College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology Makerere University and CoCuDi Center.
At the heart of the course is bark cloth—an ancient, sustainable material made from the Mutuba tree. Working with it challenges fundamental assumptions about what textile is, and what it can become. It invites designers to move beyond industrial frameworks and engage with tradition, environment, and community as active partners in the creative process.
This initiative is not about transferring knowledge in one direction, but about building a shared space for learning—where material exploration, design thinking, and cross-cultural dialogue come together to shape new possibilities.
Proud to see this work featured in Portfolio Magazine, highlighting how design can expand when we are willing to shift perspective.
Read more:
לפגוש מציאות אחרת: טקסטיל בר־קיימא באוגנדה - מגזין פורטפוליו
בזמן שעולם העיצוב ממשיך להביט ברובו מערבה, לבתי הספר באירופה, אל התערוכות במילאנו ואל המסלולים בפריז – יש מי שבוחר להביט דווקא לכיוון אחר, לא כאלטרנטיבה אקזוטית, אלא...
Bark Cloth Uganda 2026 — now featured on Shenkar's שנקר - הנדסה עיצוב אמנות website 🌿
We’re happy to share this glimpse into the recent international course developed in collaboration with Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art and Makerere University, exploring the cultural and material potential of bark cloth.
The course brought together students and faculty for hands-on learning, collaboration with local artisans, and material experimentation — bridging traditional knowledge and contemporary design.
👉 Read more on Shenkar’s website:
https://www.shenkar.ac.il/en/news-events/students/bark-clothuganda-2026/
Grateful for this ongoing partnership and shared learning journey.
#BarkCloth #Shenkar #Makerere #CoCuDi #DesignExchange #SustainableMaterials #CrossCulturalDialogue
We’re happy to share this glimpse into the recent international course developed in collaboration with Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art and Makerere University, exploring the cultural and material potential of bark cloth.
The course brought together students and faculty for hands-on learning, collaboration with local artisans, and material experimentation — bridging traditional knowledge and contemporary design.
👉 Read more on Shenkar’s website:
https://www.shenkar.ac.il/en/news-events/students/bark-clothuganda-2026/
Grateful for this ongoing partnership and shared learning journey.
#BarkCloth #Shenkar #Makerere #CoCuDi #DesignExchange #SustainableMaterials #CrossCulturalDialogue
Planning the CRAFT training for 15 VSLA groups in Namutumba Innovation Agriculture
Today in Namutumba 🌱
We began the day meeting with the NIA NGO committee, discussing progress, challenges, and the next steps as the organization continues to grow into its new structure. The leadership and commitment of the local team remain the true engine of this work.
From there, we visited several farms and saw thriving pineapple and banana crops — tangible evidence of long-term investment in training, resilience, and community-driven agriculture. Seeing the fields flourish is always a powerful reminder of what steady partnership can achieve.
We also met with two VSLA groups. The discipline, solidarity, and confidence of the women continue to inspire us. These savings groups are not only financial mechanisms — they are spaces of belonging, leadership, and collective strength.
Finally, we arrived with our craft training team to begin researching local materials, existing skills, and possibilities for building a new training program. The goal is to create additional income streams while strengthening cultural knowledge and creativity within the community.
Resilience is built step by step — in fields, in meetings, in shared ideas, and in women sitting together planning their future.
More soon from Namutumba.
We began the day meeting with the NIA NGO committee, discussing progress, challenges, and the next steps as the organization continues to grow into its new structure. The leadership and commitment of the local team remain the true engine of this work.
From there, we visited several farms and saw thriving pineapple and banana crops — tangible evidence of long-term investment in training, resilience, and community-driven agriculture. Seeing the fields flourish is always a powerful reminder of what steady partnership can achieve.
We also met with two VSLA groups. The discipline, solidarity, and confidence of the women continue to inspire us. These savings groups are not only financial mechanisms — they are spaces of belonging, leadership, and collective strength.
Finally, we arrived with our craft training team to begin researching local materials, existing skills, and possibilities for building a new training program. The goal is to create additional income streams while strengthening cultural knowledge and creativity within the community.
Resilience is built step by step — in fields, in meetings, in shared ideas, and in women sitting together planning their future.
More soon from Namutumba.
