From Displaced Refugee to Community Lead Seed Farmer

Grace Kiden remembers the day her family fled Kajo-Keji in 2017 during intense conflict. They walked for three days through dense bushland before crossing into northern Uganda with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

In 2023, hearing that stability was returning to Central Equatoria, Grace decided it was time to come home. However, returning meant starting from zero: houses were collapsed, tools were gone, and seeds were impossible to afford.

Through Exodus Foundation International’s Agricultural Recovery Project, Grace joined a local Farmer Field School. She received flood-tolerant sorghum seeds, agricultural training, and joined a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA).

In her first season, Grace harvested 18 bags of sorghum—enough to feed her family through the lean months and sell six bags at the local market.

With her earnings, Grace paid school tuition for her three daughters and bought two goats. Today, she serves as the treasurer of the Liwolo Seed Producers Cooperative, supplying certified seeds to other returning families across the county.