Celebrating DIG’s Transformative Work with the Batwa Community in Uganda
In a significant moment for Development in Gardening (DIG), Gloria Mushabe, our Executive Director in Uganda, was honored as a laureate of the FAO’s inaugural Global Farmer Field Schools Innovation Award. Gloria, a well-deserved recipient, has been a driving force behind DIG’s work in Uganda since 2018. Her deep knowledge of agroecology and unwavering commitment to community-led development have enabled DIG to effectively reach some of the most marginalized communities we serve.
This award highlights DIG’s transformative work with the indigenous Batwa community, a group that has faced profound health and economic challenges since being forcibly evicted from their forest homes in the 1990s to make way for a national park. DIG’s innovative adaptation of the Farmer Field School model is helping the Batwa reconnect with their cultural heritage by cultivating traditional forest fruits and vegetables in their community and home gardens.
The exploration of culture through cultivation is at the heart of DIG’s Indigenous Foods Preservation Project which not only addresses food security, but also strengthens nutrition, climate resilience, economic independence, and social cohesion through the revival of traditional foodways.
“Seeing the Batwa reconnect with their roots and embrace new agricultural practices has been profoundly rewarding,”
Gloria shared as she accepted the award on stage in Rome.
Her presentation moved the audience and sparked discussion on how the Farmer Field School model can bring about similar transformations worldwide.
“We are excited for DIG to move onto a bigger stage,” said Sarah Koch, DIG’s global Executive Director.
“DIG’s programs measurably advance food sovereignty for the most marginalized because they are grounded in agroecological practices and center communities in their own solution-building. This award recognizes what DIG has to offer—not just on the community level, but on the global stage.”
For more about the award, visit the FAO’s website: Global Farmer Field Schools Innovation Award. To watch Gloria’s inspiring presentation, skip to 24:22 in the full recording: Watch here.
