Mbale, Uganda: The Bugisu Cooperative Union (BCU) has awarded 234 university bursaries to students from coffee farming families, funded entirely through proceeds from the union’s coffee sales.
The bursaries, valued at approximately UGX 150 million, are part of BCU’s annual education support program that rewards member farmers for active participation in the union’s coffee value chain.
To qualify, farmers must deliver at least 300 kilograms of coffee to the union, earning a minimum of 250 patronage points, a threshold that secures eligibility for the scholarship.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Hon. Sasaga Isaiah Wanzira commended Hon. Nathan Nandala Mafabi, BCU Chairman, for his leadership in reviving the union and expanding its outreach to empower coffee farmers and their families.
“Hon. Mafabi has shown that organized farming can transform livelihoods,” Wanzira said. “By mobilizing farmers to supply more coffee, the union has not only strengthened its market but also supported education, proving that cooperative success benefits entire communities.”
He noted that BCU continues to stand out among Uganda’s cooperatives for reinvesting its profits directly into the welfare of its members through education, infrastructure, and social support.
Ms Barbra Wasagali, the General Manager of BCU, confirmed that this year’s bursary fund amounted to UGX 150 million, slightly lower than in previous years due to a decline in coffee supply.
“The number of beneficiaries reduced because coffee deliveries dropped this season,” Ms Wasagali explained. “We are mobilizing farmers to increase production so that more students can benefit in the coming years.”
She also appealed to the government to regulate coffee middlemen who exploit farmers by buying directly from gardens at unreasonably low prices.
“The government should establish official buying points to protect farmers’ earnings. Middlemen are undermining cooperatives and the sustainability of farmer-led systems like ours,” she said.
Beneficiaries Grateful for BCU Support
Among the beneficiaries was Vivian, a student at Makerere University, who expressed heartfelt gratitude to the union for easing her family’s financial burden. “Tuition has always been a major challenge for my family,” she said. “This bursary from BCU is a huge relief and gives me a chance to focus on my studies.”
The bursary program remains one of BCU’s flagship community initiatives, reinforcing the cooperative’s mission to use coffee revenues to improve education, livelihoods, and economic empowerment across Bugisu sub-region.
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