Felco, internationally recognized for manufacturing high-quality pruning shears and gardening tools, has teamed up with African Women Rising to donate agricultural equipment aimed at improving crop care and boosting food security in Uganda.
Two decades of conflict devastated Northern Uganda’s agricultural infrastructure. Farming knowledge was lost, livestock and crops were taken, and many fields were abandoned. As the primary food producers, women suffered the greatest impact of the war.
African Women Rising addresses this gap by partnering with communities to restore sustainable livelihoods and rebuild agricultural capacity.
Founded in 2006 in Santa Barbara, California, African Women Rising collaborates with community-based groups to improve the lives of women in post-conflict African regions. The organization centers women as primary agents of change, supporting locally driven initiatives and helping women define and implement their own development strategies.
Permagarden Program
African Women Rising’s permagarden program focuses on empowering women in Uganda to grow nutritious food for their families and communities. Working in refugee-hosting areas, the program combines practical training with hands-on support to re-establish reliable food production—filling a critical niche in humanitarian and development efforts.
“We are pleased that a company like FELCO supports our activities and provides the best tools to develop our agricultural programs,” said Thomas Cole, co‑Founder of African Women Rising. “As a long-time FELCO user, I appreciate the importance of ergonomic, efficient tools for crop maintenance.”
“FELCO is proud to support the vision and dedication of African Women Rising to improve women’s livelihoods by empowering them through sustainable agricultural programs after the war,” said Stephan Kopietzki, CCO of FELCO. “This small nonprofit makes a significant impact, and FELCO tools can help further that work.”
The partnership highlights how appropriate tools and community-led training can strengthen household nutrition and resilience. By equipping women with reliable tools and practical agroecological techniques, the permagarden program helps increase yields, diversify diets, and rebuild local knowledge that was lost during the conflict.
Beyond tool donations, the approach emphasizes long-term sustainability: training in soil care, water management, seed selection, and crop rotation; creating shared learning spaces; and fostering local leadership so women can continue to expand food production independently. These elements together help ensure that improvements in food security are lasting and scalable across communities.
Supporting initiatives like the permagarden program contributes to multiple development goals at once—reducing hunger, improving nutrition, strengthening livelihoods, and promoting gender equity in post-conflict recovery. Corporate partnerships that provide high-quality tools and align with community-driven priorities can accelerate progress and enhance the impact of grassroots programs.
Felco’s contribution serves as an example of how targeted, practical support can amplify the efforts of organizations working directly with women to rebuild agricultural systems. By combining durable equipment with training and local leadership, the collaboration aims to restore productive capacity and enable families and communities in Northern Uganda to thrive once more.