Apply by
April 1, 2025
Know by
June 1, 2025
Depart on
October 30, 2025
Duration
2 years, plus 3 months training
Project description
This project is part of the Increased Readjustment Allowance Pilot. Volunteers serving under this pilot will receive $800 per month readjustment allowance, earning a total readjustment allowance of approximately $20,000 pre-tax at the end of two years of service.
Uganda is an agricultural country with more than 70% of the working population involved in farming. With abundant rainfall, good soil fertility and a vibrant farming community, the country produces a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and other staple foods for commercial and home consumption. Agribusiness Specialist Volunteers who work with farmers, youth and women groups in rural communities find the ambiance, green vegetation, favorable climate and the rural enthusiasm very rewarding.
Agribusiness Specialist Volunteers support Ugandan households in achieving economic security and improved food and nutrition security. Volunteers work with community members to build the capacity of women, youth, and farmers to generate income through agricultural activities, improve money management practices, develop their entrepreneurial potential, and adopt more nutritious diets. Agribusiness Specialists may also work with Small and Medium Business Enterprises and Farmers’ Cooperative to support agribusiness and farm management, market linkages, value addition and nutrition support. Volunteers work in rural and semi-urban communities that have a high need for food security and economic development opportunities, many of which are not reached by other organizations. Volunteers also work with schools, health centers and other stakeholders to promote household nutrition.
Activities May Include But Are Not Limited To
- Training farmers, women and youth on farm management practices and improved crop production to increase income (Agriculture as a Business).
- Training community groups on financial literacy which includes budgeting, bookkeeping, saving and financial goal setting.
- Training community groups, farmers cooperatives and owners of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) on business development, business planning and management, marketing, value addition, pricing and branding.
- Support the formation and strengthening of village savings and loan associations (VSLAs).
- Advise farmers on post-harvest handling and value addition to reduce waste and increase profitability of agriculture-based products.
- Promote home gardening and nutrition-sensitive agriculture practices among households.
- Promote nutrition-sensitive food processing and preservation techniques that enhance the shelf life, nutritional value, and safety of perishable foods.
- Encourage the production and consumption of nutritious food.
- Create awareness and train community members on the effects of climate change and mitigation measures to create climate resilient and food secure communities.
Volunteers work with an array of groups and host organizations, including farmers, women and youth groups, and agricultural cooperatives as well as non-governmental, community-based, and faith-based organizations. Each host organization and community are unique in their needs, opportunities, and challenges.
Volunteers use flexibility, patience, humility, and good humor to successfully serve their communities. Volunteers do not serve in communities to “fix” things. Rather, you will be most successful when you work with your community and host organization to collaboratively and creatively find ways to address issues using local resources.
Peace Corps Uganda promotes gender awareness and girls’ education and empowerment. Volunteers receive training on gender challenges and can implement gender-related activities that are contextually appropriate. During service, Volunteers look for ways to work with community members to promote gender-equitable norms and increase girls’ sense of agency. As part of their work, Volunteers will also report on these efforts and their impact. Volunteers invited to this project are expected to work as professionals and will be periodically evaluated on their work performance.
Climate change activities
As The Impacts Of Climate Change Become Ever More Evident, The Social, Economic, And Environmental Context Within Which Smallholder Farmers Seek To Maintain And Improve Their Livelihood And Support Their Families Will Continue To Change. This Will Add Significantly To The Challenges Of Smallholder Farming, Particularly For The Most Disadvantaged Communities. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, You Will Be Trained To Use a Participatory Approach And Tools To Identify Locally Determined Priorities And Conditions, Including Those Related To The Impacts Of Climate Change. As An Agriculture Volunteer, You Will Be Trained To Use This Local Knowledge In Engaging Smallholder Farmers In a Climate-smart Approach That
- promotes the adoption of improved, appropriate, and adaptive agricultural practices and technologies that sustainably increase productivity;
- builds and strengthens household resilience by integrating and diversifying existing and new agriculture-related income-generating opportunities; and
- reduces greenhouse gas emissions attributable to ineffective and carbon intensive farming practices and encourages adoption of agricultural practices and activities that sequester carbon.
Required Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Economics or a degree combining agriculture and management, including agribusiness, agricultural management, farm management.
- At least 3 years of experience in farm management and/or agribusiness.
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any business or economics discipline with 1 year experience in farming or agribusiness.
Desired Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following relevant qualifications:
- Small-scale farming and experience with agricultural value addition and post-harvest handling.
- Experience in crop production, business development, business management, marketing, costing, and pricing, small agriculture startup or income generating activities.
- Experience in nutrition education sensitization.
- Experience in agriculture and farm work focusing on vegetable gardening,
- Experience talking to groups of people about agricultural practices and technologies
- Experience mobilizing people for group meetings
- Experience delivering training on agricultural topics
- Experience with small scale field experiments
- Knowledge of basic field crop, tree crop or vegetable production practices and technologies
- Experience in project planning
Required Language Skills
There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position. Although English and Swahili are the official languages in Uganda, rural communities communicate primarily in the local language indigenous to their community. Using the local language is critical to community integration and effective work, so Volunteers receive intensive training to attain the required proficiency level before swearing in. During Pre-Service Training (PST), Trainees learn through community immersion and practice; one-on-one practice with staff and peers; and self-directed learning at the training venue. In addition, extended tutoring and other accommodations are available as needed to help each Trainee succeed. Volunteers are also expected to continue to improve their language skills throughout the course of their service.
Living conditions
During Pre-Service Training (PST), Trainees will live for several weeks at a training center and then move into a four-week stay with host families. During the homestay portion of PST, Trainees will be provided with a private room with a lock in the host family accommodation. The homestay provides an opportunity for Volunteers learn about the cultural norms in Uganda and practice their language skills. Additionally, PST has many hands-on technical training experiences that take place in communities around the PST venue.
Volunteer communities are usually in rural or semi-urban communities. Housing conditions vary according to each host organization’s resources and may be an independent house or a private room located on a family compound. All housing meets Peace Corps’ housing standards with basic furnishings that may be supplemented with a modest settling-in allowance provided by Peace Corps. Volunteers living in rural areas are likely to have no running water or electricity, use a lantern or solar lamp for lighting and a gas or charcoal stove for cooking. Outdoor bathing areas and pit latrines are likely in rural areas. Volunteers in semi-urban areas may have electricity and running water, but not always. When it is not available indoors, water is available at a communal area such as a community tap or borehole.
Cell phone, Wi-Fi and internet services are available across the country with several telecommunication companies offering affordable internet packages. Volunteers, however, will have to occasionally travel to nearby towns to access banking and other services. USB modems and smart phones are available for purchase and can be used for internet access in some places. Mail and post generally take approximately 2 to 6 weeks, but Volunteers can communicate with colleagues in Uganda and friends and family back home through messaging apps. Volunteers are issued tablets for communication and required reporting. Many Volunteers also choose to bring a laptop for personal use, but it is not required.
In their communities, Volunteers will get around by walking, riding a bicycle, or using public transportation such as small cars or minibuses. Work sites will be no more than 5km from Volunteer housing. Public transportation is available near most communities and allows for transit to and from the nearest urban areas or trading centers. Volunteers are provided funds to buy a bicycle locally, if they choose to do so. Due to safety risks, Peace Corps Uganda prohibits the use of motorcycles (boda bodas) by Volunteers. Volunteers may be up to a 2-3 hours’ drive from another Volunteer in some areas.
Ugandan culture and expectations are broadly conservative, but it is also a diverse society. Traditional perspectives dominate, but you will also find some open-minded people and progressive ideas. We advise Volunteers to take time to learn their communities and be willing to adjust to their expectations. Ugandans are welcoming and open when they feel mutual respect and understanding.
Peace Corps Uganda provides support to a diverse group of Volunteers of various faiths, identities, and sexual orientations, etc. It is important to note that Uganda has restrictive laws that target certain sexual acts. Volunteers will receive extensive training on cultural norms and country-specific laws. They are expected to be mindful and use good judgment when approaching topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Please refer to the Local Laws and Special Circumstances of the U.S. Department of State's travel page for more information on Ugandan laws: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/uganda.html
Peace Corps supports Volunteers as they adjust and adapt to their new cultural and physical environment. Volunteers find great satisfaction in their work, build meaningful friendships with host country nationals, and feel rewarded by their service.
Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Uganda: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.
Medical considerations
Before you apply, please review medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.
Couples information
Peace Corps Uganda welcomes couples. Your partner must qualify and apply for one of the following positions:
- Community Health Educator
- Community Health Specialist
- Early Childhood Literacy Teacher
During Pre-Service Training (PST), couples will share a room for center-based portions of the training, and they will live together during the host family portion of training. They may be separated for periods up to a few days for certain technical trainings throughout PST.
During service, couples will live together in a private house that is either a standalone structure or within a larger family compound. Couples can expect to periodically attend project-specific trainings, medical appointments, committee meetings, and other programming meetings separately as needed. Couples are usually placed in separate schools/community-based organizations within the same or a nearby community. However, they should also be open to the possibility of serving within the same school/organization with separate job assignments, as this does occur in some rare cases.
The Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples, and same-sex couples are not placed in countries, like Uganda, where homosexual acts are criminalized. During the application process Recruiters and Placement Officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to understand current placement opportunities. For more information please visit: https://www.peacecorps.gov/faqs/lgbtq/
