"Where Every Story Builds a Brighter Tomorrow."
HARVESTING HOPE
– FLORENCE BIGAMBWENGA, Seeds of Gold Program graduate. Hoima district, Uganda.
Before the program, I was farming a small backyard garden just to feed my family of nine. My husband is away most of the time, so I carry the weight alone.
When I joined Diar Foundation’s Seeds of Gold program, I received 20kg of beans and training that changed everything.
I harvested and sold 100kg, then used the profit to start a piggery project. Today, I’m preparing to plant groundnuts on a two-acre garden — something I never thought I could do.
Now, not only am I feeding my children, I’m supporting other women by selling beans back to the foundation so they can get seeds too. I feel strong, hopeful, and proud.
GROWING RESILIENCE
- Aganyire Phiona, Seeds of Gold Program Graduate. Hoima district, Uganda.
When I first joined the Diar Foundation’s Seeds of Gold program in Hoima district, I didn’t know it would change my life so much. I was given 20kg of bean seeds, and after planting and harvesting, I made a profit of 300,000 shillings from my very first season.
I didn’t stop there. Every month, I made sure to save a little, and with part of the money, I started a piggery project with seven piglets. I also shared some of my seeds with other women in my community. I wanted them to experience the same success I was seeing — and many of them later joined the program after hearing my story.
Now, six years after graduating, I am proud to say that I’m building my own two-bedroom house in my village. I am also able to send my children to school without struggling like before.
Seeds of Gold taught me that with hard work, patience, and a little support, we women can build the futures we dream of.
BUILDING A NEW LIFE
-Charlea Nyagis YEP
Beneficiary & TVET center graduate. Rumbek South Sudan.
Before I joined the Diar Foundation’s Youth Empowerment Program in 2018, life was very hard. I had no job, and yet I had a family to take care of. Every day, I went to the market to look for any work I could find, but there were many days I came home empty-handed. Sometimes, my wife and children had to sleep on empty stomachs.
When I heard about the Diar Foundation’s program at the Rumbek TVET Center, I didn’t waste any time. I joined as a student and started learning tailoring skills. It was not easy at first, but I was determined to change my life.
On my graduation day, I will never forget how happy I felt. The Diar Foundation gave me a full startup kit: a tailoring machine, pieces of wax cloth (kitenge), an ironing table, an iron box, and more. That was the beginning of a new chapter for me.
I started by training my wife, and together, we opened a small shop. Now, I am a professional tailor making beautiful kitenge dresses and repairing clothes for clients. When I am at the TVET center training new students, my wife runs the shop.
Today, we manage the business together, and we are able to take full care of our family. I am so lucky to have been one of the youth who benefited from the Diar Foundation’s Youth Empowerment and Youth Resilience Program. At 25 years old, I went from having no income to running a family business that has brought dignity and hope back into our home.
A NEW HARVEST IN YIROL
-Mama Rose,Manager of Yirol
Farm School & Orphanage.
Rumbek,SouthSudan.
My journey with the Diar Foundation began at the Yirol Farm School in Lakes State, South Sudan. When I first joined, I was trained in baking and bread making. Later, because of my passion for farming, I enrolled in the women’s farm management training program. After graduating, I didn’t stop there. I took the opportunity to train other women who joined after me, teaching them proper farm management skills and effective farming techniques to ensure better harvests. Watching women grow confident in their abilities has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my journey. Today, I am proud to serve as the manager of the Yirol Farm School and Orphanage under the Diar Foundation.
My work involves not only overseeing farming activities but also supporting the women and children who depend on the school for learning and livelihood. It fills my heart with pride to see how far we have come — from small backyard gardens to organized farms that feed and empower many families in our community. Farming has become a symbol of hope for many women who never imagined they could lead and succeed in agriculture. I always say I am a pioneer of growing vegetables in Yirol County. Before Karak, the founder of the Diar Foundation, introduced us to crops like cabbage, tomatoes, and okra, the only green we knew was “Kudhra,” a wild vegetable we used to gather from the bush. Now, in our Yirol Farm School, we grow many crops like millet, maize, and vegetables and even sell them for profit. Thanks to the Diar Foundation, we have not only transformed our farms but also changed the future of our families and our community.
