Joseph Oken transforms his land into a thriving, diverse agroforestry ecosystem

What the report says

The Independent Uganda reports that Joseph Oken, a retired soldier in Kaliro Village, Lamwo District, has turned his post-service years into a broad agroforestry enterprise. According to the July 30, 2026 report, Oken left the military in 2015 and has since developed his land into a mixed system combining trees, crops, bees and livestock, positioning him as a local example of environmentally conscious farming.

The report says Oken’s shift was strengthened by work with ECOTRUST, which supplied 100 mahogany seedlings and training in areas including afforestation, soil fertility, conservation, integrated crop and livestock management, financial skills and household gender relations. Oken also contributes to the Pur em Tekowo radio programme on Jambo FM, where he engages with agricultural specialists. His farm now includes more than 700 trees, including black teak, mangoes and mahogany, with beans grown between trees and beehives added for honey.

The Independent highlights changes in Oken’s land-management practices, including ending bush burning, using crop residues as mulch, rotating crops, matching crops to soil conditions and using contour ploughing on slopes to reduce erosion and conserve water. The article also says he joined a Village Savings and Loan Association through his ECOTRUST farmer group, helping him expand into piggery and cattle.

The story presents Oken’s farm as both an income source and a family support system. He reportedly pays school fees for eight children, sometimes through produce supplied to a local school. More broadly, the account illustrates how agroforestry and farmer training can support rural livelihoods while promoting soil restoration, tree cover and long-term household resilience.