Outcomes
KWDT has drawn praise for its unique strategy. The project spans 15 fishing settlements in Uganda’s Buikwe, Wakiso, Kalangala, Buvuma, and Mukono districts. Since the inception of the project, the team has conducted more than 280 trainings on business development skills, teamwork, conflict resolution, emerging fishing and processing technologies, sustainable/legal fishing, environmental conservation practices, and GBV. Over 6,700 women and girls have been reached and additional mentorship support provided for a significant proportion of those who have started businesses within the fishing value chain. Margaret shares how these trainings empower women to engage in fishing, recalling that after a particular training on sustainable small-scale fisheries (SSF) guidelines, one woman said, “I have learnt that SSF guidelines facilitates my engagement in fishing, and I now can’t see anybody stopping me to go on a fishing boat.” While the project targets women groups, about 6,000 men and boys have also benefited by participating in some of the organization’s activities. Project impact assessment demonstrates improvements in the socioeconomic status and quality of life of beneficiaries, especially women as most reported better access to quality health and social services including schools for their children.
Beyond these indicators, Margaret reports that success stories have come in different formats. For instance, she notes that many women say to her, “Before I joined the group, I could not speak in public, but now I speak in public and in the community.” Similarly, another participant reported using her business management skills to address disagreements with her husband. She says, “I now keep records of how much we earned, how much we pay our workers, so there is no need for him to be suspicious of me taking money out of the business, and then the conflicts have stopped.” In the area of sustainable fishing and conservation of resources, the project’s promotion of and support for legal fishing in areas where illegal fishing is prevalent is yielding results. Women have shared their stories of moving from having their fish and equipment confiscated, paying bribes, and losing money when they engage in illegal fishing to experiencing returns from legal fishing practices.