FEBRUARY 19-24, 2001 - UGANDA

Spectacular series of events in Uganda

Joan Holmes, Ruth Namyalo and Vice President Kazibwe.

The next milestone in the expansion of our African Woman Food Farmer Initiative was marked by a stunningly-successful 6-day series of events in Uganda. These events involved every level of society – from grassroots animators to Vice President Kazibwe and President Museveni – and received enormous newspaper and television coverage. Hunger Project president Joan Holmes led a delegation that included 32 Global Investors from 7 countries, Africa Prize laureates, women food farmers and key staff.

The high-level impact was all the more impressive as these events took place at the time of hotly contested presidential elections in the country. The Vice President of Uganda and our Global Board Member – Dr. Speciosa Kazibwe – participated in events on 5 days, despite her campaign responsibilities.

These events put a major spotlight on extremely important issues. As Joan Holmes stated: "To be committed to Africa is to be committed to the African woman food farmer… Africa would not survive one day without women’s work – unless women food farmers are recognized and supported, Africa won’t progress." The events marked the expansion of the Initiative from its original 5 countries in West Africa, into three countries of Eastern and Southern Africa: Uganda, Malawi and Mozambique.

Photos from each day of the events and full texts of many of the addresses are on our website through the hyperlinks below..

Day 1 - The torch arrives in Uganda

Eighteen busloads of women food farmers – all wearing Hunger Project t-shirts and caps – joined The Hunger Project team at Entebbe Airport to welcome the Africa Prize as it arrived from Nigeria. The Prize travels – like the Olympic Torch – from country to country and village to village. The "torch bearer" for Nigeria – the woman food farmer chosen to represent all the women food farmers of her nation – is Caroline Akinsamni. Caroline came down the stairway – "torch" held high - to meet Joan Holmes, two cabinet ministers, the cheering assembly, and her counterpart from Uganda, Ruth Namyalo. Caroline was accompanied from Nigeria by 1995 Africa Prize laureate and Global Board member Chief Bisi Ogunleye and the Nigerian coordinator of the Initiative, Kike Akindele.

The Uganda team built a massive float – decorated with palm trees and farm produce – to carry the torchbearers to Uganda’s capital city of Kampala. The trip took two hours as it passed thousands of well-wishers who lined the roadside with flags and banners.

Africa Prize laureates Celina Cossa, Joyce Banda, Chief Bisi Ogunleye and Joyce Mungherera

 That night, the delegation attended a dinner held in its honor by Vice President Kazibwe.

Day 2 – $100,000 Pledged by President Museveni in Support of THP’s Work

On the second day, Joan, Vice President Kazibwe and the torchbearers addressed a gathering of 1,500 people in the nation’s largest auditorium – the Nile Conference Center. This was a major opportunity to drive home the central message of the initiative – that the economic empowerment of Africa’s women food farmer is critical to Africa’s future.

In addition to her own remarks, the Vice President read an address from the President, in which he pledged to invest $100,000 in The Hunger Project’s African Women Food Farmer Initiative.

Day 3 – Vice President Formally Inaugurates Opening of Mpigi Epicenter

The official "hand-over" of the torch occurred – fittingly – in the rural countryside, at the first "epicenter" built by the people of Mpigi district themselves, in partnership with The Hunger Project. The spacious and beautiful center includes space for literacy and skills training, a health clinic, food processing and a meeting hall large enough for 200 people, which also houses the monthly Vision, Commitment and Action Workshops.

More than 2,000 villagers attended the open-air ceremony. In addition to remarks by Joan Holmes, the Vice President and the torchbearers, there were addresses by local organizers and women leaders who spoke passionately about the difference The Hunger Project had made in unleashing the spirit of the people of the region. This spirit, and the joy of the people, were also expressed in a dozen songs and dances throughout the day.

Day 4 – THP Impact Visible at Grassroots Level

The investor delegation saw first-hand the kind of initiatives launched by the people of Mpigi to improve their lives and incomes. They sampled donuts at a rural bakery started by 18 women and 12 men who had participated in a Vision, Commitment and Action workshop. They visited farm land rented by a woman with loans from the revolving loan fund established by The Hunger Project, and saw the piggery she had begun in partnership with 3 other women. The team visited an adult functional literacy class held under the trees at one of the student’s homes, as well as a 6-room school recently rehabilitated by the community.

The final stop of the day was at the home of Ruth Namyalo. There, in a very remote area, Ruth had brought together musicians, dancers and a girl’s choir from the area school for a spirited celebration, honoring the partnership of the people of the village and the investors.

That night, Joan hosted a dinner both for the investors and for women leaders coming to attend the two-day African Woman Food Farmer strategy meeting.

Day 5 – Strategy Session to Launch African Woman Food Farmer Initiative in East and Southern Africa and Investors Briefed on Mobilization Challenges

In Kampala, Joan Holmes began leading a two-day strategy meeting of women leaders from four countries – Nigeria, Uganda, Malawi and Mozambique. The purpose of this meeting was to launch the African Woman Food Farmer Initiative in Eastern and Southern Africa. The session was inaugurated by the Vice President, who stressed the importance of having clear, accurate and compelling facts to support advocacy efforts. She pointed out the importance of establishing a legal framework for women’s cooperative societies, so that their group strength would be sustainable, rather than personality-based.

Mwalimu Musheshe, one of Africa's leading development experts and the chair of THP-Uganda's national council, led a one-day workshop for the investors, to give them a behind the scenes look at the work of mobilizing rural people and the complexities of ending hunger in rural areas. He distinguished concepts including reactive and pro-active mobilization; the need to introduce a concept of the future that extends beyond tomorrow; establishing ownership among villagers of an outcome; and redefining literacy to include an appreciation for functional knowledge.

Day 6 – President Museveni agrees to come to New York – For Africa Prize Event, 13 October 2001

As the second day of the strategy meeting got underway, President Museveni made time in his very busy schedule to meet with Joan Holmes, Africa regional director Dr. Fitigu Tadesse and Country Director Jeanne Uwineza. He was briefed about the work of The Hunger Project in Uganda – specifically the work emanating from the Mpigi epicenter – and the plans for the 2001 Africa Prize, honoring leaders who are confronting the AIDS epidemic on the continent. Joan invited President Museveni, given his extraordinary contributions in this area, to come to New York as the keynote speaker for the event. Without even checking his schedule, he said, "I will be there!"

During the second day of the strategy meeting, the investors joined the group to hear each country team share their vision for what the initiative will achieve in the next 2-3 years, the women’s groups they will work with, the leaders they will involve, and the immediate next steps.