Africa Development Promise has been working with the Epaphroditus Women’s Cooperative – a 32-member mushroom growing group in Uganda – since 2015. The women were members of a local church and were so inspired by a biblical figure named Epaphroditus that they decided to ban together to improve their social and economic condition by pooling their savings to start a collective mushroom business. Mushroom cultivation is becoming increasingly popular among rural women because of the nutritional value; the limited space required to grow them; the quick rate of maturity; and provide a steady source of income.  

With support from Africa Development Promise, Epaphroditus grown from a small operation into a promising cooperative business.  They now own land, have a large mushroom grow house fitted with solar powered water mister and a solar dryer.