LocationsFrom One Vegetable Bed to Eight: How Water for Production in Karamoja’s Kotido District Transformed Anna’s Life
May 8, 2026
Anna at one of her vegetable beds
Kotido District is one of Karamoja’s water stressed districts. While advent of rainfall often sparks agriculture production through small scale agriculture mostly done by women, its unreliability in various locations of the Karamoja sub region often affects agricultural production leading to loss of seeds, stunting of plants and poor yields overall. But agricultural production is possible when there is a reliable supply of water.
Meet Loiki Anna, a 28-year-old mother of four from Oyapuwa West Village in Kotido District. Her location in Kotido is one of those that suffers from the challenge of inadequate or no rainfall patterns. She joined the Emorikinos Kaapei Etopoloto Ekisil Farmers Group in 2024 when the Building Resilience for Conflict Affected Communities Project (BRICK) started its implementation in the district.
Anna went on and joined the peace and farming association supported by the project, specifically the component of work implemented by Grassroot Alliance for Rural Development (GARD-UG). As a member of this group, their work included mobilising the community around the prevention of conflict, often induced by the complexity of pastoralism.
Before - Anna was already practising agriculture, but it was always a gamble since rainfall patterns changed every year. By May – June 2024, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) for Karamoja’s districts including Kotido, was showing a recurrent and persistent acute food insecurity situation driven by a variety of threats. These reports demonstrated that consecutive years of crop failure had created this dire situation, heightened by climate change.
The BRICK project in recognizing these circumstances and in consultation with the communities as part of feasibility studies that sought to situate the evolving BRICK project to the local context, undertook to provide water for consumption and production to the communities of Kotido District, alongside those of Kaabong and Moroto Districts. By the time the BRICK project was starting Anna could only manage to raise one small bed of cowpeas and cowpeas leaves. At this time she was earning $ 1.33 (UGX 5,000) every two weeks. With such little income, providing for her household was a constant struggle.
The BRICK project motorized a high production borehole and piped water closer to her home as part of water distribution from the borehole to the neighbouring villages, schools and health centers. An opportunity unfolded for Anna who was now able to expand her agriculture production efforts. With reliable water right to her doorstep and accessibility 24 hours, she knew immediately that her business could grow.
Today, she has expanded her garden from one bed to over eight. She earns $ 21.35 (UGX 80,000) per month an eightfold increase in income. Her vegetables can now be grown all year round and now reach market vendors at Nakapelimoru market, Kotido town, and also nearby households, giving her consistent profits and a reliable constant market.
With this new income, Anna provides for her children’s nutritional needs, buys scholastic materials, saves regularly, and invests in household essentials. Despite challenges like pests, limited extension services, and fluctuating markets, she remains determined to grow her farm and expand production.
“I previously used to earn USD 3 dollars (UGX 10,000) per month, and this was due to the difficulty to access reliable water for my crops, but when UNDP and KOICA provided us reliable water access through the constructed boreholes and piped water right to my village, this changed and my profits went up - enabling me to earn USD 21 (UGX 80,000) per month.”Loiki Anna, BRICK beneficiary
Beyond her own success, Anna has become a role model and peacebuilder. “As a member of the Women Peace Forum, I can now show how access to water can stabilise my community through improving food security, prosperity, and harmony, a testament that resilience can flourish from the ground up one vegetable bed at a time” she said.
The Government of Korea, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Ministry of Karamoja Affairs, the district Local Governments of Kotido, Moroto and Kaabong and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have been implementing the BRICK project. Through this cooperation, a number of resilience and self reliance interventions grounded on enhancing social cohesion have been supported in Karamoja.
The project has applied knowledge of the local context to ensure that all interventions are aligned to the needs of the communities and priorities of the district Local Governments. Through the BRICK project the interventions have been enhancing the capabilities, assets, and activities required for resilient livelihoods across three project districts. This support has enabled communities to cope with and recover from stresses and shocks driven by a combination of conflict and complex climatic conditions.
Looking Ahead
As UNDP begins implementing its Country Programme Document for Uganda for the period 2026–2030 experience from this partnership demonstrates how resilience can be strengthened even in complex development situations and the role of effective partnerships to realizing this. By working together to create resilience, to enhance access to water, and to work with communities to strengthen peace, the Government of Korea through KOICA and UNDP will continue supporting the Government of Uganda and communities in Karamoja - strengthening institutions, responding to crises, and unlocking new opportunities for sustainable growth. This aligns with global efforts to promote peaceful, inclusive societies, ensure access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels by 2030.