Awoja Riverside – Farm & Leisure Park is a hub of agricultural learning, training and production, complemented with agro-tourism. Agricultural demos/trainings and agritourism are our core businesses. Our demographic focus is especially youth and women. Founded as a sole entrepreneurship, today it has opened up and now constitutes an association of small-scale farmers, some, owners of fragmented plots of land, all now bulked together. Others are renters of those said plots.
Awoja Riverside Farm & Leisure Park is located in rural Awoja (Soroti county), since its founding in 2014. The farm sits adjacent to the marshes of River Awoja, at the convergence of the districts of Soroti, Ngora, and Katakwi, and within easy proximity of many districts in the sub-regions of Teso, Bugisu, Karamoja, and Lango.
To be the premier agricultural skilling, demo and agro-tourism destination in the region.
To spur profitable agribusiness in the countryside while employing sustainable agriculture technologies.
Awoja Riverside farm has transitioned into a grouping of practicing farmers. These are a mix of landlords and guest farmers (renters), from within and without the locality. Partnerships over the years include:
GIZ and SOCADIDO (Soroti Catholic Diocese Devt Organisation). RGIL (Promoting Responsible Governance of Investments in Land) Project. Awoja Riverside Farm is the overall lead farm, with an association of more than sixty local farms in the districts of Soroti and Katakwi. Awoja Riverside Farm provides mentorship to the other farms. 2021 – todate.
GIZ and Africa Agribusiness Alliance. RELAPU (Responsible Land Use Policy in Uganda). Awoja Riverside Farm is the overall lead farm, with an association of more than sixty local farms in the districts of Soroti and Katakwi. Awoja Riverside Farm provides mentorship to the other farms. 2018 – 2020.
IDRC (International Development Research Centre) - Nairobi. Enhancing Agribusiness Economic Opportunities of Women and Girls. In consortium with Centre for Basic Research and School of Economics – Makerere University. 600 young women and males trained in horticulture, poultry, piggery, in Soroti and Serere by Awoja Riverside farm. 2018 – 2020
Under a Public Private Partnership, Water for production project is meant to improve livelihoods in rural areas through increasing the storage volumes of water for production. Awoja Riverside Farm is the modal farm, hosting more than 20 farmers learning and earning from horticulture. 2018 – todate.
The East African Seed Co. whose partnership with Awoja Riverside entails trainings in agronomy, running agriculture demos, and supply of their inputs at preferential prices to farmers, under the umbrella of Awoja Riverside farm. 2015 – todate.
whose partnership specialises in the promotion of responsible usage of especially agro-chemicals. They have trained youth and farmers at Awoja Riverside farm. 2017 – todate.
AVSI: Under a partnership with AVSI in the project SKY (Skilling Youth for Employment in Agribusiness), Awoja Riverside farm skilled 500 youth in horticulture. 2016– 2020.
A second partnership with AVSI, in the project SAY (Skilling in Agri-preneurship for increased Youth employment), 65 youth completed skilling in horticulture: open field and greenhouse. July 2021 – July 2022.
Busitema University , Arapai Agricultural College in Soroti District;, Wera Technical College in Amuria District and Kasodo Technical College in Pallisa District. Awoja Riverside Farm has an institutional cooperation with these colleges, to host their students for internship. 2017 – todate.
National Agriculture Instructors College – Abilonino. Awoja Riverside Farm was one of the 32 selected nationally, to host trainee agriculture instructors. 2020– todate
We partnered with Kenya Seed Company which runs demos and hosts farmers for training. 2016 –todate.
Partnership to support youth through skilling in agribusiness (horticulture). 50 youth from counties of Kapelebyong (Amuria District) & Kasilo (Serere District). 2018
FINE is a registered Farmers Organisation of more than 140 active farms and 6 farmer groups. They assemble at Awoja Riverside farm for agri-skilling, promote marketing of farmers products, share knowledge, and pool resources for joint ventures. 2019 – todate
Awoja Riverside Farm has skilled more than 150 female and male inmates in Soroti Prisons under its corporate social responsibility. 2018 - 2019.
We run collaborative programmes to help individual and institutional agricultural startups succeed. These have been in the areas of horticulture, poultry, and piggery, and value addition, so far. We mentor, share facilities and equipment, add value to products, promote market access, link to networks. The Demos can help to revolutionise rural agriculture. We teach different techniques and technologies, we showcase new and improved crops and livestock, and we also do some research.
The maiden show, organised by and hosted at Awoja Riverside Farm, from March 4 – 6, 2022. It attracted more than 5,000 show-goers and 64 exhibitors, including national institutions like, Bank of Uganda, Uganda Investment Authority, Uganda Insurance Consortium, NARO, CARE, commercial banks, universities, etc. It has been gazetted as a national annual event.