Youth-Led Transformation Supported by RUFORUM and Mastercard Foundation
Gordon’s Agricultural Organization–Uganda (GAO-UG) Limited, with funding from RUFORUM (Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture) and the Mastercard Foundation, is transforming smallholder farming in Lira and Alebtong districts into a profitable, youth-driven business model. The program aims to empower out-of-school youth, women, and persons with disabilities while creating sustainable, inclusive rural livelihoods.
Community Bulking Hubs Boost Farmer Incomes
Through 23 community bulking hubs, 554 youth farmers , over half women ,aggregated and sold 183 metric tons of sunflower and soybean. By bypassing middlemen, farmers earned up to 30% higher prices, strengthening local value chains and ensuring fair returns.
Community Agricultural Promoters (CAPs) manage these hubs, coordinating produce aggregation, storage, and transport to main warehouses, creating efficient, youth-led market systems
One standout success is Aburu Dolly, a 24-year-old widow who mobilized youth farmer groups in Bar, Lira District, to bulk 51 metric tons of soybeans. She earned UGX 1.53 million in commissions, demonstrating the power of women-led leadership in creating jobs and boosting inclusive growth
" Abura Dolly in her Bulking Hub ,in Bar Subcounty , Lira District "
Scaling Up for Greater Impact
“With the support of RUFORUM and the Mastercard Foundation, we are cultivating a new generation of youth agripreneurs who view farming not just as a livelihood, but as a profitable and sustainable business,” said Mr. Akejo Gordon Victor, Chief Executive Director of GAO-UG Limited.
“Our target for this this model to reach 40,000 farmers, creating sustainable, digitally-enabled, and rewarding jobs across rural value chains.”
Creating Skills, Market Access, and Sustainable Livelihoods
The program equips youth with practical skills training, climate-smart agricultural inputs, financial services, access to water for production, and direct market access . This bundled support enables participants to increase productivity, minimize post-harvest losses, and achieve sustainable incomes. Through this approach, GAO-UG Limited is developing a scalable, youth-led agribusiness model that generates thousands of employment opportunities for out of school youths across the agricultural value chain while promoting inclusive and sustainable rural development in Northern Uganda.
Looking Ahead: Scaling Impact and Opportunities
With a proven, youth-led model, GAO-UG Limited is poised to scale operations across Northern Uganda, aiming to reach 50,000 farmers over the coming years. Expansion plans include increasing the number of community bulking hubs in different districts , introducing digital tools for market access and farm management, and providing enhanced climate-smart agricultural support and providing reliable transport for collecting grains from diffrent bulking hubs
By scaling this model, GAO-UG Limited will continue to empower youth and women, enhance food security, and promote inclusive rural development across Northern Uganda.
Gordon’s Agricultural Organization–Uganda (GAO-UG) Limited is a youth-led social enterprise dedicated to empowering smallholder farmers, particularly out-of-school youth, women, and persons with disabilities. Through its last-mile acceleration model, GAO-UG provides access to climate-smart agricultural inputs, practical training, market linkages, water for production, and financial services, fostering sustainable livelihoods and meaningful employment opportunities.
This program is funded by RUFORUM (Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture) and the Mastercard Foundation, under the Innovation Transfer Partner TAGDev 2.0, supporting innovative, scalable, and inclusive agribusiness solutions that drive community development and create jobs for youth, women, and marginalized communities across Africa
Amazing thanks to GAO UG LTD for the milestone sofar and more to come
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