Climate Mitigation
Need

Small-scale farmers and refugees in Northern Uganda live on the frontlines of the climate crisis. We work to break the cycle of damaging farming practices to build a sustainable future.

Our Response

African Women Rising supports women to adapt to our warming planet while mitigating the effects of the climate crisis. Since day one, all of our work has been designed to enrich the environment by supporting carbon sinks and improving society.

15,906
Farmers trained in regenerative agriculture
150,000+
Trees planted in 2024

Impact

All our programs amplify each other, contributing in different but complementary ways to our goal of mitigating the effects of climate change in Northern Uganda. 

‍Our program activities in regenerative agriculture, microfinance and education work together to help women adapt to the challenges posed by global warming and support themselves in ways that actively improve the environment.

Regenerative Agriculture
We teach farmers to revolutionize the way they plant.

Regenerative agriculture enhances the health of the soil, creating more resilient farms while reducing carbon emissions and improving carbon land sinks. The regenerative agriculture approaches we promote have globally proven results that give farmers greater security in the event of irregular weather patterns while addressing the very drivers of climate change.

Six most-adopted practices:
  • Field not burned (91%)
  • Garden is intercropped (91%)
  • Trees left in the field (86%)
  • Mulching (86%)
  • Using water-harvesting earthworks (86%)
  • Timely weeding (80%)
Result for farmers:
  • Larger, healthier, and more diverse crops on smaller plots of land
  • Sustained productivity all year long
  • Less pressure to deforest land
  • Protection against droughts and downpours
Result for the environment
  • Reduced carbon emissions
  • Increased carbon sequestration
UNITED NATIONS Sustainable Development Goals Addressed:
80%
of women adopted and sustained 3+ regenerative practices
100%
of women increased their CROP yieldS
50%
of women doubled their CROP yieldS
Gladys, 22
“I’ve learned so much in the Field Crop training. We don’t burn our fields anymore. We plant cover crops and we plant in straight lines. There are paths for walking and swales to make sure the drainage is good and the water stays in the field. The mulch helps preserve soil moisture. Our yields are higher and the crops much healthier. I don’t have as many problems with pests. I used to get two sacks from this field. This year I got six.”
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Girls Education
We empower girls to take control of their educational goals and their reproductive futures. When paired with family planning, educating girls has the potential to avert nearly 85 gigatons of carbon emissions by 2050, making it one of the most powerful tools for combating climate change. When adolescent girls stay in school:
  • They have fewer and healthier children
  • They are equipped to be more resilient to the effects of climate change
  • They grow more productive agricultural plots
  • They can be leaders in promoting pro-environmental policies
As part of our mission to plant 500,000 trees in the next four years, we give girls who enroll and remain in school trees to plant. These trees generate income, sequester carbon, prevent erosion, and improve soil fertility.
UNITED NATIONS Sustainable Development Goals Addressed:
9,070
Girls mentored
76%
Graduated
17,578
trees planted to promote girls secondary education
Julian, 15, 7th Grader
“My favorite subject is science because I like to learn about the human body. I want to become a lawyer. The best thing about the Girls Education Program is the scholastic materials we receive and the menstrual pads. With the pads I don't miss school any more. Before, I used pieces of cloth and it was not very good. I want to continue to secondary school."
Microfinance and Savings
We build financial security for households to invest in climate resilience.

Members in our microfinance and savings groups use their savings and loans to protect against shocks and invest in sustainable farming practices:
  • Diversifying crops
  • Acquiring new tools
  • Expanding sustainable farming practices
  • Building small businesses to increase family income
The result is a resilient population that is less susceptible to climate events and a healthier ecosystem.
UNITED NATIONS Sustainable Development Goals Addressed:
10,500
households accessing microfinance
$1.8M
Saved
$186,000
Loans paid out
Sophie, 26, Mother of Three
“Saving money is a very good thing but it’s hard to do when you do it alone. I used my savings from last year to hire people to work for me in the garden. They helped me open more land for cultivation. I had two acres, but now I have six. AWR is teaching us how to do organic farming and I’m using it on my fields. My yield has increased. Even with the flooding last year, I was able to harvest a lot of cassava.”
Give Hope
African Women Rising serves as a catalyst for thousands of women and girls in Northern Uganda, giving them the support they need to live their lives with dignity.
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