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From Iowa to Uganda: Learning Sustainable Development Through Agricultural Innovation
A few months ago, I was invited to attend the 2025 Iowa State University Next Generation Institute: "Designing and Managing Sustainable Rural Livelihood Programs" in Kamuli, Uganda. I recently returned from the trip and have been reflecting on what I learned, the people I met, the things I saw, and the memories I made.

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By Kaylee Kleitsch | CAST Communications Assistant

A few months ago, I was invited to attend the 2025 Iowa State University Next Generation Institute: “Designing and Managing Sustainable Rural Livelihood Programs” in Kamuli, Uganda. I recently returned from the trip and have been reflecting on what I learned, the people I met, the things I saw, and the memories I made.

Truthfully, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into when I walked into the Des Moines airport and boarded the plane to Uganda. I knew I’d learn about what Iowa State was doing there, what makes an NGO successful, and probably meet some local farmers. Luckily, my expectations hardly scratched the surface.

When we landed in Uganda, I got the opportunity to meet the other participants and program leaders. A group of eighteen students and development professionals from eight countries and four continents attended this institute, and living and working alongside them for two weeks was a fantastic opportunity. Friendships were made, stories were told, dances were danced, and enough laughs to last us a while.

Once we arrived at the Iowa State University Uganda Program (ISU-UP) base, we quickly dove into learning. We watched presentations and listened to speakers focused on running a successful, impactful, and sustainable NGO, with sustainability being the key. While environmental sustainability may come to mind right away, and it is essential to a good organization, the program leaders wanted to stress the long-term sustainability of a program.

Many NGOs come into communities wanting to help because they identify a need. These organizations may come in with a plan set, money raised, and will get right to work. They’ll see short-term positive impacts, but the community doesn’t continue the work once they leave the area, and the project disintegrates. The NGO can be left wondering why. Oftentimes, these organizations had no sustainability plan. They may not have had discussions with community members and leaders to determine what the people actually need and want. They may have brought in all outside employees to carry out their goals. They could have ignored local culture and customs. None of this builds local investment in the project, and people aren’t likely to have pride in a program they didn’t necessarily want and weren’t a part of implementing. Ensuring sustainability in this context means that even if the organization disappears tomorrow, the community will continue to reap benefits.

Kamuli is located in Eastern Uganda, where smallholder agriculture is often both a way of life and a key to economic survival. Many of the smallest homesteads raised fruit trees, some vegetables, and maybe a few chickens or a goat. Local families rely on these plots to support their children, send them to school, and drive economic activity through local markets. That being said, much of ISU-UP’s work is agriculture-based.

When people ask me what ISU-UP does, I ask them if they remember the old phrase: If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. They don’t give handouts but offer learning opportunities to individuals and families. They offer programs on the best food and cash crops, how to intercrop, how to successfully care for livestock, and how to begin your own poultry or hog operations. While some “Western” best practices are used, local culture and restraints are always kept in mind to ensure the animal’s well-being and the farmer’s success. There are farmer groups and co-ops formed under ISU-UP that work together to raise and sell livestock and crops, as the community effort is often much more cost-effective. There are agriculture clubs at local schools, teaching children how to care for crops and livestock and sometimes allowing them to take plants or animals home to their families. They also have workshops where individuals learn new skills, such as basket weaving, tailoring, jewelry and craft making, hairdressing, and more, so people can begin their own money-making enterprises to support themselves and their families. There is also a program that combats malnutrition, where farmers can grow their ingredients to make porridge and feed their children and expecting mothers.

We got the opportunity to participate in field visits, where we met absolutely amazing community members. Many were members of farmers’ groups or learning new skills, and everyone was extremely welcoming and glad to host us.

Other presentations focused on what sustainable rural livelihoods are, how to raise money, how to prepare a budget, manage a program, design projects, implement the logical framework model, local culture and cultural considerations when designing a program, influences of gender and gender roles, and how to best work in a team comprised of different personalities and experiences.

The institute participants were split into groups, where we were asked to design our imaginary NGOs. I was placed with four other individuals from Texas, Germany, Uganda, and Kenya. We took what we had learned during the institute. We decided to create “Feed Forward,” an organization that taught smallholder poultry and hog farmers how to raise their own mealworms as a dietary supplement for their livestock. We were able to talk to poultry and hog farmers, learn how expensive feed additives are, and whether this would be a feasible project. We presented our concept to the group on the final day and got feedback from the program leaders and local experts.

While this short essay doesn’t do it justice, this isn’t a trip or lesson I will soon forget. The old saying, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime,” took on new meaning for me while there. In Kamuli and worldwide, “teaching a man to fish” is more than an expression; it is a guiding principle for a better future.