Kyakimwa Hellen aged 35 years, has been growing cotton for the last 3 years she is a member of Rwenzori farmers marketing cooperative LTD. Hellen is from Nyamisule , Mahango sub county and she has 4 children who are in school. She has spent 3 years growing cotton, last season Hellen harvested 300 kgs costing 450,000 Ugandan shillings. She said Hellen has achieved a lot from growing cotton and she told her side of the story.’’ ‘’We work as a family but do not involve children since they are in school and they are not supposed to work on the cotton garden according to the child labour pledge that we signed’’. I work with my husband; we alternate with my husband to take care of the children and the garden. I and my husband have got income from the cotton sales that enabled us by a plot, I have plans to construct a house so far I have bricks and iron sheets’’.
On the same note she has gained knowledge and skills through trainings in agronomic practices and fair trade. Before joining the cooperative Hellen said’’ I would sell my cotton while in the garden and lose track of profits but today I can now sell my cotton at once and get income that can support my family’’. She says ‘’my children were not regularly in school, lacked scholastic materials but I can now plan for my children education and ensure they stay and complete school’’. She adds that she did not have a house of her own, she was renting whenever she come to cultivate cotton in Kirembe but now she has her own home thanks to TJX program. Hellen said the quality of cotton has improved due to trainings and constant spraying of pests, she said before she used to harvest 300kgs at cost of 2000 per Kg and would earn like 600,000 shillings. She appreciated TJX program that has enabled them get fair trade markets where a second payment can be got something that we had never heard of in the history of cotton growing .This has helped us buy seeds, pesticides and planning for collective marketing. She also appreciates the transparency in the cooperative that motivates the members. Hellen Kyakimwa is a treasurer for Nyamisule zone in the cooperative and the brother is a board member of Nyamisule primary school. She says it has been interesting and a learning experience for her as a member of the cooperative and she has gained a lot through trainings and increased income. Apart from cotton growing Hellen Kyakimwa owns a small retail shop and she is also investing in coffee growing. Hellen explained that production of cotton this season has not been the best, it was evaded with pests and climate change issues despite spraying three times hence affecting the production both in quantity and quality . Hellen would like to see her children get a educated to higher level, she appreciates the support TJX has given and requests for more support in terms of business opportunities (Contracts) to enable the farmers sell all their cotton through the coop.