A growing story

This November, we celebrated several stories of growth. From the growth of gardens to nurturing parents—and even our youngest supporter—we see signs of progress and the seeds of flourishing. 

In a small corner of a Batwa settlement called Kitariro, a quiet transformation is taking place. What began as a few rows of vegetables has transformed into a lifeline for Niwamanya Stellar, a Batwa woman demonstrating that farming changes not only a family’s diet, but also their future.

Supported by the Batwa Development Program’s (BDP) agriculture initiative, Stellar received training, tools, and seeds to begin a household garden. Her Japanese eggplants have flourished beyond expectation. Each week, she now harvests enough to feed her family, with surplus to sell at the local market—earning the equivalent of $5 in income.

While the amount may seem small, for Stellar and her family it represents stability and opportunity. With her earnings, she joined a local savings group, setting aside funds for school fees and household needs. “Before, I had nothing to contribute,” she explains. “Now I am saving and planning for my children.”

Her success is part of a broader effort by the Kellermann Foundation and BDP to equip Batwa families with skills for food security and income generation. In October, more than 200 Batwa households prepared seedbeds and planted beans, millet, cassava, and vegetables for one of the region’s three planting seasons. Families are eating better and earning an income.

Community leaders say Stellar’s story is inspiring other Batwa in the settlement to start their own gardens. “When one family thrives, it gives hope to the whole community,” says BDP agriculture officer Ivan Twinamatsiko.

For Stellar, the rows of green eggplants in her garden are more than crops—they are a promise of health, dignity and a brighter tomorrow.