Enoch Makobi’s Journey From Family Farm to TREES Uganda Country Director

Enoch Makobi vividly remembers the long walk from his rural Uganda farming village to the weekly Bukigai market in town. With no accessible roads, he and his siblings followed their mom down the rough mountain footpaths. The nine-year-old balanced produce on his head, not quite able to carry as much as his surefooted mom. 

“I still remember the ache of those journeys, not just in my body but also in my heart.” 

Like many farming families in Uganda’s Bududa District, Enoch’s family grew mostly coffee and bananas. Their livelihood was tied to the success of the crop in the ground… and again down at the market. Enoch recalls the frustration of market days as his mother was forced to sell her produce for less than it was worth. 

“It brought a mixed feeling of pride and frustration to see our product on display. I would see the fruit of our labor, but at the same time, I was sad that we couldn’t control the price.” 

Despite the challenges that come with subsistence farming, Enoch formed a lifelong love for the land and farming. From a very young age, he’s been outside – learning. 

“As a young boy, I started my own small coffee nursery to sell seedlings. I never sold any seedlings though! I took my dad’s fertilizers from the house without his permission, I applied an excessive amount to my coffee nursery, then lost it all because they dried up.” 

He took each lesson learned on his family farm with him, building a career in farming. He spent some time in Indonesia as a plantation manager. In 2010, he was back in Uganda managing the country’s first oil palm plantation when tragedy struck his village. A massive landslide in Bududa killed more than 300 people. Enoch lost friends and family. 

“The tragedy was a turning point, sparking a deep need to return home and contribute meaningfully to the place that shaped me.” 

So, he took a position with the local government and began using his expertise to support local farmers. 

“Growing up in a rural farming area, I had seen the hardships firsthand such as long hours in the gardens, uncertain markets, and the challenges of making a living from the degrading soils. But after the landslide, it became clear that sustainable practices and community collaboration were important, not only for livelihoods, but also for safety and resilience.” 

Enoch’s commitment to farmers and sustainable solutions led him to join Trees for the Future (TREES) in 2020 as a Regional Program Coordinator. 

TREES is an international nonprofit working with smallholder farmers in Uganda and across sub-Saharan Africa, training them in a sustainable agroforestry technique called the Forest Garden Approach.  

Enoch saw this comprehensive approach to land management as a departure from the short-sighted focus on monocropping and chemical inputs that drive much of the industry.  

“For many farmers, including my family, farming was primarily about survival. Practices focused on seasonal yields rather than long-term sustainability. The Forest Garden Approach is reshaping that narrative.” 

Farmers in TREES’ four-year Forest Garden training program learn to protect their soil, diversify their crops, and optimize the space and time available to them. Families are able to restore the land and start growing more to eat and sell. 

“Both traditional techniques and the Forest Garden Approach share the same main goal of sustaining families and communities. What I love about the Forest Garden Approach is that it expands that goal by emphasizing long-term land stewardship and environmental conservation. You see that it breaks down the cycles of hunger, poverty and environmental destruction, and creates a sustainable model that benefits future generations.” 

Since joining the TREES team in 2020 and later becoming the Country Director in 2023, Enoch has witnessed the transformational power of sustainable farming practices and the Forest Garden Approach.  

“The areas that were once degraded gardens are starting to flourish with diverse trees and crops, providing food and income security. It puts joy in my heart and a smile on my face every time I am in the field.” 

And as those basic human needs are met, he sees a cultural and environmental movement take shape. 

“These communities are no longer just producing food, but have become stewards of the land and ecosystems, serving as key players in conservation and improved livelihoods. They start to become innovators on their own, driving positive change within their villages and beyond.” 

Back in Bukigai market, there are still plenty of farmers focused on selling the typical bananas and coffee. But a change is taking shape. Standing in the same place where he experienced heartbreak week after week as a child, Enoch is optimistic about the future of farming in Uganda. 

“I have this deep hope that TREES’ program will keep strengthening these groups and networks, helping farming communities across Uganda as they become self-sufficient and resilient in the face of climate-related risks.” 

To date, the Uganda team has reached 6,600 farmers. They’ve helped plant 26 million trees since TREES first started work in Uganda in 2016. 

“I am excited as this journey has allowed me to turn my childhood passion for farming into a career dedicated to creating diversified and productive gardens with lasting positive change across the farming communities in Uganda.” 

He’s not finished yet, though. Enoch and the TREES team are reaching more and more young farmers every day.  

“Sustainable agriculture is more than just a way of farming, but a commitment to nurturing the land, supporting your community, and building a legacy that can thrive for generations. Sustainable agriculture is a journey best traveled together. You’re not just farmers, but you are change makers. And the world needs you to lead us towards a more sustainable and hopeful future.”