Update on the work of The Hunger Project-Uganda

By Dr. Fitigu Tadesse, Africa Regional Director

Strategic Forum

From 24-25 November 1999, THP-Uganda organized a Strategic Forum for the end of hunger in Uganda. Approximately 130 representatives from all sectors of Ugandan society participated. This Forum is a critical element of our Strategic Planing-in-Action methodology. Through this Forum, the participants had the opportunity to create a shared understanding of the prevailing condition of hunger and poverty in the country and to then create a shared vision of an achievable future. This vision is then put in place through the elements of strategy and priority actions to be taken on the road of ending hunger in Uganda.

A delegation of eight members of THP-Australia also participated actively in the Forum and later visited the following strategic programs on the ground:

In the presence of the Australian visitors, THP inaugurated the first school along with a safe drinking project in Kyali Parish, Mpigi District, built by the community in partnership with The Hunger Project-Uganda. Mpigi has a population of 1 million and has two epicenters.

• Mutuba I: The Epicenter is composed of the Kyali Parish, which includes six villages: Busomba, Kasamu, Nsaamu, Kyali, Bubezi and Gayanza. THP-Uganda has an education project in Mutuba I with a school for 120 boys and girls. These children now have the opportunity to go to school for the entire day and have access to a safe drinking water while there. The school also offers a literacy program for 100 women that teaches them to read and write in their local language.

• Kiringente: This Epicenter is composed of two parishes (Kololo and Luvumbula), and includes five big villages: Nsujju, Mpolwe, Mugyemba, Luvumbula, Namma and Kagezi. In this epicenter, THP-Uganda has launched literacy and micro-credit programs for women as well as fishponds and increased food production programs (cassava and maize) for men.

The committed leadership put in place in each epicenter has demonstrated their commitment and total partnership with The Hunger Project-Uganda to work tirelessly for the eradication of hunger and malnutrition from their villages in the coming few years. This leadership is strengthened by the essential equality of male and female representation.

With the full participation of the community in Mpigi District, THP-Uganda has now completed the necessary infrastructure designed to empower the people of the district to end hunger.

The epicenter includes:

• A rural bank that will empower women through programs of micro-credit, savings and investment.
• A food processing training center.
• Literacy center for women which will also function as a training center for health officers and midwives.
• A meeting hall that can accommodate 200 people.

• A food bank to provide vital facilities for food preservation and storage.

THP committees and the communities in the three parishes have worked together to identify what is needed to reduce the shortage of food and improve living conditions in the area.

• Food Security: The poor variety of cassava, a staple food in Uganda, does not produce the necessary quantity of food for the population. This lack of variety has drastically reduced cassava yields throughout the district. For this reason, THP-Uganda is providing the necessary credit for farmers to buy improved seed varieties which will remedy this problem. The initial results demonstrated in the last six months have been very encouraging.

• Access to Credit: The women have asked for and were provided with credit to purchase improved seeds, raise poultry, farm fish and engage in other income-generating activities. The initial results show that women in Mpigi are engaged in lucrative income-generating activities, enabling them to earn the money that they need to purchase food and essential items for their families.
• Education and Literacy: In addition to the school, THP-Uganda is providing access for women training for functional literacy in local languages. This will enable them to participate in income-generating activities and read instructions for medication.

It is a matter of great satisfaction to see that at the meetings held at the epicenters, women are not sitting separately from men. They have come to learn from The Hunger Project’s many visits that partnership between men and women is essential if hunger and malnutrition are to be eradicated. In the partner villages, women can stand up and declare their commitment to work tirelessly to ensure successful implementation of their projects. The women publicly committed to becoming self-reliant in their work to ensure that their villages are free from hunger and poverty, and they set the commitment for a 3-5 year time frame for realizing their vision.

• Future Expansion: This year, THP-Uganda will focus its work in the two epicenters and consolidate its programs of self-reliance based on increased food production, income generating activities, micro-credit, literacy, education and health programs. THP-Uganda will expand its activities in the entire central region of Uganda in the coming years, using the positive experience in Mpigi District as the foundation.

• Training Animators: The role of animators is crucial to hastening the work of ending hunger in Uganda. For this purpose, the Global Office will hold VCA workshops at the epicenters during the first week of June for 200 people, including members of the National Council, village leaders and other villagers. After the VCA, a group of 50 young men and women farmers will be selected and further trained to become animators. These dynamic young leaders will travel to villages throughout their districts in order to empower and support the villagers, enabling them to realize their commitment to eradicate hunger and poverty on a sustainable basis.

Next Update / Home