Years ago, in Mpigi District, harvest time used to be a season of mixed feelings for farmers like Theresa Nakato.

Although her fields were always full of maize and groundnuts, she couldn't earn enough out of them because the produce buyers took most of the profits.

Theresa had two options: manually pound the groundnuts, exhausting work that involved child labour, as she always used her children to help her in the pounding, or pay for motorized grinders that were far from the village, forcing her to trek long distances. Rather than endure this, she constantly sold her crops to produce dealers, even though it meant earning very little for all her hard work.

"I was working against poverty. I always produced the crops, but I was not able to process and add value to the produce. My income was always taken away, the fuel costs, and long distances." — Theresa Nakato

Social Seed Uganda believes that the best solutions are not always imported, they are co-created. Using our approaches (HCD, SBCD & SLD), we engaged with community members in open dialogue, listening to their challenges and defining the problem together: the need for affordable machinery that is electricity and fuel-free, powered by a locally maintainable source.

We looked at resources already available in the community, resilient youth, skilled local blacksmiths, and bicycle parts, and together developed a bicycle grinder: a multipurpose machine built from what the community already had.

This locally-built innovation helped Theresa start adding value to her harvest immediately.

"Time has really changed my life. I use the extra time that the machine has saved to do juice blending business using the very bicycle. Now I don't just sell groundnuts, I sell peanut paste and fresh juice within the community." — Theresa Nakato

In three months, Theresa's domestic income increased significantly. Outstandingly, her daughter Sarah returned to school full-time. The project also benefits over 50 households in the community.

The Bicycle Grinder Project proves that when we use people-centred development approaches, the results are far-reaching and unstoppable. Social Seed Uganda is not only building machine technologies to ensure agricultural and food security, we are building a self-sustaining future where every community member is an entrepreneur, and every youth is a leader.

The youth of Mpigi District have gone through a powerful transformative journey. What began as Social Seed Uganda's skills training initiative to empower young entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses has grown into a foundation of confidence and opportunity for young people who once faced unemployment, financial dependency, and an undefined future.

The youth who were at risk have now built a sustainable livelihood through baking short cakes, a venture made possible through cooperation between Social Seed Uganda and a Japanese partner. Beyond the baking project, Social Seed Uganda has restored dignity, promoted community participation, and enabled youth to rise from economic challenges to stability.

In doing so, Social Seed Uganda is proud to champion the United Nations' global mission to end poverty, achieve gender equality, and provide decent work for all through education and youth skilling, in line with SDGs 1, 5 & 8.

The Challenge

As of June 2025, many young people in the community had limited opportunities to earn a living. The community offered few formal jobs, and many youths, especially young mothers, had dropped out of school due to early pregnancies and financial hardships.

The Approach

Social Seed Uganda engaged the community after identifying these challenges through its approaches of HCD, SBCD & SLD, methods that encouraged youth, local leaders, and families to identify practical solutions together. Baking emerged as a practical and powerful answer.

The participants received training not only in baking but also in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, marketing, and cooperative savings. This holistic approach equipped youth with the skills and confidence needed to start and manage small businesses. Many have expanded their product range to include doughnuts and crisps, increasing their income opportunities.

The program also nurtured leadership and confidence, youth who were once hesitant now lead discussions, mentor new participants, and contribute actively to community initiatives.

"The project has been life changing." — Lydia Katana, participant

The Impact

Lydia Katana, who was once financially dependent, now earns income from selling short cakes and contributes to her household expenses. The initiative has impacted over 1,000 community members directly and indirectly, demonstrating how locally driven solutions can create lasting social and economic change.

The impact extends beyond individual participants. Families report improved household support, and the project has strengthened youth leadership and collaboration across the community.

What's Next

This group of youth plans to establish a fully equipped community bakery to increase production capacity, improve product consistency, and expand into nearby markets such as trading centres and schools.