At just 23 years old, Grace Nabuuma, from Mutetema village in Kalangaalo sub-county, Mityana District, is living proof that with the right support, skills, and determination, rural youth can transform their lives and communities. Thanks to TeamUp Uganda, Grace has blossomed from a peer facilitator to a life coach and the founder of her own agricultural value addition enterprise.
TeamUp Uganda works to improve the livelihood prospects of young people aged 15 to 30 in Mityana and Kassanda Districts, with a focus on the three sectors of Agriculture, Water, and Health. In 2019, Grace joined the TeamUp programme after completing Senior Four, eager to build a better future for herself.
As a peer facilitator in health under our partner, Action 4 Health Uganda, Grace was trained in key sexual reproductive health topics, including teenage pregnancy prevention, family planning, and condom use. She also gained knowledge in sustainable farming practices, learning how to maximise harvests from small plots of land, and financial literacy skills through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) promoted by another partner Hanns R. Neumanna Stiftung.
Through TeamUp, Grace’s community also benefited from improved water infrastructure, including a piped water system that enabled dry-season farming, as well as borehole repairs and training on safe water access and borehole maintenance.
Recognised for her dedication and leadership, Grace was selected in 2021 to attend the Social Innovation Academy (SINA), where she received intensive coaching in entrepreneurship, public speaking, coaching, and mentoring. To scale her dream, Grace also went for internship training at the Kabanyoro Research Institute to further horn her skills in food processing. materials.
Inspired by the needs in farming communities, Grace founded AVAL Agroecology Limited, a social enterprise committed to reducing food loss and waste. AVAL Agroecology LRemove featured imageimited produces naturally preserved dried fruits (pineapples, sweet bananas, mangoes, and jackfruit) that are easy to carry, nutritious, and have an improved shelf life. Today, AVAL markets its products through trade shows, exhibitions, social media, and retail outlets in supermarkets and tourist centres.
“I am so grateful to TeamUp Uganda for opening doors I never imagined. Through their training and support, I grew from a peer facilitator into a business owner and life coach. Today, I am proud of how far I have come and excited for the future I am building,” reminisces Grace.
Grace’s business now sustains her livelihood and provides employment to five other young people, paying them a regular salary. With a bold vision for the future, she plans to grow AVAL Agroecology into a leading producer of dried fruits in Uganda, and to process the entire pineapple plant for even more value-added products.
Grace’s journey shows how empowering young people with skills, mentorship, and opportunities can unlock lasting change. TeamUp Uganda is proud to support youth like Grace, who are rewriting their future and that of their communities.
