From Poverty to Purpose — Jingo Elisa’s Journey to poverty reduction through Rabbit Rearing

At just 24 years old, Jingo Elisa from Kizigo Village has become a strong example of resilience and determination. Growing up in a humble family, Elisa was forced to drop out of school when his parents could no longer afford to pay his school fees. Like many young people in rural Uganda, the burden of poverty threatened to limit his opportunities and future aspirations.

Elisa’s life began to change when he participated in an economic empowerment and livelihood training organized by Dependable Youth Initiative Uganda (DYIU). Through these sessions, he gained practical knowledge in small-scale agribusiness and financial literacy, which helped him explore income-generating opportunities within his community. Inspired by the training, Elisa developed a strong interest in rabbit rearing as a sustainable and manageable agribusiness venture.

Starting with only two rabbits, Elisa gradually applied the skills he had learned and carefully nurtured his small project. Within just eight months, his initiative grew significantly, expanding to more than 20 rabbits. Rabbit farming proved to be an ideal enterprise for him, as it requires limited space and relatively low start-up capital while offering multiple benefits. Today, Elisa supplies fresh rabbit meat within his community and also utilizes rabbit manure to support gardening activities, creating additional value from the enterprise. The income generated is already helping him contribute to his household needs and improve his living conditions.

Elisa’s progress reflects the impact that access to skills, mentorship, and opportunity can have on young people facing economic hardship. His journey demonstrates how youth can transform challenges into productive ventures when given the right support and guidance.

Dependable Youth Initiative Uganda is proud to support Elisa on his path toward self-reliance. The next step is to strengthen and expand his rabbit farming enterprise so that it can grow into a sustainable agribusiness capable of creating employment opportunities for other young people in Kizigo Village.