Cadasta Foundation is honored to receive $400,000 USD in funding from the Rising Tide Foundation to expand its groundbreaking work with partners in Uganda to collect and process land information for the distribution of Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs). 

Building upon the success of previous work between Cadasta, the Ugandan Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, and local partner, Ujamaa Tribe, which resulted in the issuance of 5,228 CCOs in six districts, this funding from the Rising Tide Foundation enables Cadasta to support the collection of land documentation and the issuance of CCOs for 25,000 households in the Namutumba and Kaliro Districts. The project will employ a multifaceted approach, utilizing participatory mapping, data collection, training, and high-quality Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, aligning with the guidelines set by the Uganda Ministry of Land, Housing, and Urban Development.

Commenting on the grant, Isabelle Hirs-Schaller, the Head of Freedom in Practice Programs at Rising Tide Foundation, said, “Rising Tide Foundation is very happy to be working with the Cadasta team on this important initiative to secure land titles in rural Uganda. Cadasta offers a proven and scalable solution to addressing property rights.” 

Approximately 84 percent of land in Uganda is held under customary tenure, underscoring the importance of recognizing and documenting these land rights for rural Ugandans. A CCO serves as a cost-effective and legally recognized land document that provides evidence of ownership. This step is critical in enhancing  livelihoods, improving access to benefits and services, and strengthening tenure security for households, the majority of which are living on less than $2 USD day.

Cadasta’s approach also aims to address the current gender disparity in land ownership by ensuring that 60 percent of the CCOs are held by women or jointly with their spouses. In Uganda, women constitute 50 percent of Uganda’s population and the majority of the agricultural workforce, but only own 5 percent of the land. Empowering women with secure tenure and legally recognized ownership will improve their socioeconomic condition, support their livelihoods, and foster a greater role in decision-making in their households and communities.

Cadasta Foundation extends its gratitude to the Rising Tide Foundation for its partnership and generous funding, recognizing the importance of land rights in building resilient and prosperous communities. Together with the support of the Government of Uganda’s Ministry of Land, Housing, and Urban Development and Ujamaa Tribe, along with local land agencies and communities in the target areas, Cadasta looks forward to co-creating more innovative, inclusive land systems in Uganda in order to achieve greater tenure security and prosperity for all.