Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This thesis seeks to examine the implemented project intervention, the registration of the Certificate of Customary Ownership, by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of United Nations funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency in two communities in Northern Uganda. This study aims to understand the perspectives and lived experiences of both project implementers and community members (adopters) of the certificates. By applying the livelihood approach, the study explores if the certificates contributed to securing customary land and supported sustainable livelihoods.

I applied two qualitative research methods: semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Initially, I conducted individual interviews with key-information informants to gain an overview of the project implementation process and the implementers’ perspectives on the outcomes of the certificates. The focus group discussions provided insights into how adopters experienced the project intervention and how the certificates may have affected their rights to land, capabilities in realizing their livelihood strategies.

The findings indicate that the project intervention has contributed to securing access to land, influencing the discriminatory perceptions of land ownership and increased women’s decision-making over land. The certificates have supported the communities in realizing livelihood strategies and achieve their livelihood goals. However, to fully understand the effectiveness of the certificates in supporting sustainable livelihoods and their long-term impacts, further participatory field studies are required.