The “Food for Change: Slow Food’s Gender-Sensitive Approach to Empowering Young Women in Uganda” is a new project launched by Slow Food Uganda to give young women equal opportunities to become self-sufficient and leaders in their communities.
The two-year project, supported by Start Small, was launched during an inception meeting held at the Slow Food Uganda offices in Mukono. It will be implemented in Mukono, Kasese, and Ssembabule districts.
The inception meeting brought together 25 stakeholders, including Slow Food Uganda's Vice President, Bishop Robert Baluku, and Slow Food President Edward Mukiibi, as well as others from across the network. The gathering fostered a shared understanding of the project’s objectives, planned activities, and each participant’s role in driving its success.
Launching the project, Bishop Robert Baluku expressed optimism about its transformative potential:
“I am very privileged to launch this project that will empower young women. We are not only going to equip them with knowledge but also with practical skills that will help improve their livelihoods.”
John Kiwagalo, Director of Slow Food Africa and Head of Programs at Slow Food Uganda, highlighted the project’s role in addressing the pressing challenges affecting young women:
“We realised that many young women are marginalised by their partners. As Slow Food, we decided to create a project that will support young women to become self-sufficient and leaders, driving change in their livelihoods.”
Through this collaborative approach, Slow Food Uganda is confident that the project will have a lasting impact on the lives of young women in Uganda.
In his opening remarks, Edward Mukiibi, the Executive Director, emphasized the program’s gender-sensitive approach and how it will benefit young women:
“This project focuses on building the capacities of young women — not only to make them independent but also to help them understand how to sustain their businesses even in difficult situations. Uganda is still open with opportunities to start new ideas, and this project is here to support young women in turning those ideas into reality.”
