Mutabazi Homestead
Innovative sustainable land use is the best way to describe Yuniya Mutabazi’s farming homestead. The family has invested in homestead projects and activities that promote household economic development and empowerment. COBATI selected Yuniya Mutabazi as a model homestead to showcase agri-tourism.
Location
The homestead is 8 km from Mbarara town along the Bushenyi Fort Portal Highway. Enroute to Queen Elizabeth National Park, turn right off the main road and drive 2 km through cattle grazing areas to arrive at Yuniya’s farm. The farm gate is open when they are expecting visitors and the drive is short from there.
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Host Family
Mutabazi Family
Your host at Mutabazi Homestead is Yunia Mutabazi, a retired teacher and widow. Her adult children no longer live home, but she lives with grandchildren. Her late husband was an agriculture officer and started the farm. The farm is a model for sustainable mixed farming in the community where local farmers come to learn farming skills and buy breeding animals, seedlings and farm inputs.
The home is well-kept, with neat walkways and colorful bougnovillea hedges. Yuniya is an excellent hostess. She relishes the opportunity to share her views on poverty eradication through hard work and innovative income-generating farming ventures. She takes pride in conducting visitors around the various sites of her farm.
Guided Homestead Tour
A guided tour of the homestead includes a welcome presentation about the farm, a walk around a banana plantation, visit to the Apiary where visitors can observe honey harvesting if it is the season,
and walk through the orchard where visitors can pick fruits they wish to purchase.The tour continues to the goat kraal/enclosure where visitors can milk or assist
with feeding the baby goats. The last stop is the milking shed where, if its time for milking, guests can observe. The tour ends with a meal prepared from farm produce. The family is open to taking pictures or filming.