Update on our work in Uganda

The Wakiso Epicenter loan committee -- this is the group that approves applications for micro-credit loans.

THP-Uganda is now working in four epicenters: Mpigi (Kalamaba), Kiringente, Wakiso and Kiboga with a combined population of over 1 million people. In Uganda we are implementing programs that empower them to take actions to fight hunger and poverty in a sustainable manner. THP committees and the communities in the four epicenters are working together on community fields to ensure food security through increased food production, and programs are strong for food processing, access to credit, income generating activities and the establishment of food banks.

• Food Production and Security: The poor variety of cassava, a staple food in Uganda, does not yield a sufficient quantity of food needed for the whole year. A lack of variety has drastically reduced cassava yields throughout the district. For this reason, THP-Uganda has provided credit for farmers to buy improved seeds of different varieties. Thanks to this initiative our partners now have plenty of cassava food. In addition, the foodstuffs produced, like beans, sugarcane and banana are sold locally to other communities in the district, and to the market for other parts of the country. To ensure market access to our farmers, THP-Uganda established contacts with food vendors who come from Kampala to buy the products.

For food processing, grinding mills have been installed in all epicenters. These grinding mills are both for income generation which provides funds for the maintenance of the Epicenter, and the mills reduce the drudgery of women in processing the food, especially maize and cassava.

In the new areas of activity, our partner communities have been mobilized to start up new seed banks for beans and maize. Communities can now buy seeds of their choice using profits generated from the seed banks they created. To date, there are such 12 seed banks. Communities have been able to acquire viable seeds using the profits generated.

• Education and Adult Literacy: In all four epicenters THP-Uganda has established schools for boys and girls and for women it is providing access to functional literacy in local languages and short courses in management and accounting. Thirty-six instructors or teachers have so far trained a total of over 1,000 people, 70% of whom are women.

This play at the Kiboga Epicenter, focuses on the dangers of remaining illiterate.

Major Benefits and Impact of Literacy classes on our partners

The learners, especially the women, generally are more confident and are able to communicate and take on leadership roles as a result of attending these funtional adult literacy classes. For example, one of the partners, an old woman, came to sign for her own money at the bank after attending the adult classes for 3 months.

Women have learned how to read and write and have been equipped with various skills in nutrition, good farming practices, health and family planning.

There is both increased knowledge and confidence and ability to make informed decisions. There is a new spirit of teamwork among the partners as they have been doing practical lessons together. As a result, a number of partners are showing the willingness and confidence to proactively take on income generating activities. Important messages concerning the welfare of the community, specifically personal hygiene and nutrition are beginning to be spread within the communities. Changes in attitudes and behavior within the community, particularly a greater level of respect among the men and women, is beginning to emerge.

In this regard, it is a matter of great satisfaction to see that at all meetings held in the epicenters, women do not sit separately from men. They have come to learn from The Hunger Project’s philosophy 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. This partnership between men and women is expressed by their public commitment to work together to ensure that their villages are free from hunger and poverty.

• Health: At the epicenters, there are trained health personnel provided by the Ministry of Health working on a full-time basis. The medical doctor visits these epicenters once a week. So far a total of 2,000 people, the majority of whom are women, have been treated at the clinics. In the last three years, many healthy babies have been born at the maternity center. All expectant mothers come for periodical checkups, and home visits are also organized by the medical staff to see sick people in their homes. Immunization and vaccination campaigns for the children are being carried out in partnership with Unicef.

• Training Animators: The role of Animators is crucial to hastening the work of ending hunger in Uganda. To achieve this purpose, THP-Uganda holds monthly VCA workshops at the Epicenters for villagers. After the VCA workshops, a group of young men and women farmers are 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. So far, over 1,000 people have attended the VCA workshops and of these 347 animators have been selected to work in their respective villages. In addition, 19 Trainers of Trainers received further training to enable them to train other animators in their respective regions.

Dr. Fitigu Tadesse leads a Vision, Commitment and Action workshop at the Kiringente Epicenter during a recent trip to Uganda.

• Income generation and Micro-credit

One of the major activities that has been implemented in our Epicenters is providing access to the financial and technical resources for groups including youth, women and the rural poor. Credit by THP-Uganda has been supported by training, and tremendous improvements have been achieved. From the start, most of THP-Uganda’s credit program was geared to agricultural production, especially to purchase improved seeds and to engage in poultry rearing, fish farming and other income-generating activities. We have observed that women are engaged in lucrative income-generating activities, enabling them to earn the income needed to purchase food and essential items for their families, while men do not use it as judiciously. To date, from the loans issued to the amount of Ush.50,000,000 shillings (US$27,248) to over 500 partners of whom more than 90% are women. Currently, THP-Uganda’s credit program in four epicenters is now folded into the African Woman Food Farmer Initiative program thus expanding effectively the amount and the range of this crucial program.

Through this micro-credit scheme, the partners have acquired small loans, for the first time in most partners’ lives, and have started viable projects in agriculture and small business enterprises. To date, the overall repayment rates are 90% but some areas have reached as high as 97% loan repayment rates.

As a result of this intervention, many women are now able to take up activities such as brick making and vending from small kiosks and groceries that used to be considered men’s domain. This has been possible because the women are able to obtain credit from the THP local committees. Partners that have received micro-credit have increased the size of their gardens or acquired animals for rearing. One partner, Mrs. Ruth Namyalo, the AWFFI Africa Prize torchbearer, used her loan to expand the number of heifers she has, and she is now able to supply milk to the community on a daily basis. Many among our women partners no longer depend on the men for daily sales of products, while others have been able to send their children to school with the increased profits from their enterprises.

• Safe Drinking Water

THP-Uganda inaugurated the first school and a safe drinking water project for the children in Mpigi District, built by the community. These children, like the children in the other epicenters, now have the opportunity to go to school for the entire day and have access to safe drinking water there. Children between the ages of 3-6 years are taught how to read and write at the four epicenters. There will be soon a total of 300 children enrolled in schools in the four epicenters, with the teachers being paid from the contributions of the parents. The parents are very happy and enthusiastic about the schools and have expressed a need for a fully-fledged primary school. "This is a very good and welcome initiative in the area since the children are saved from walking very long distances to look for education." one of the parents said.

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

• A rural bank that empowers women through micro-credit, savings and investment programs.

• A food processing training center. To date, THP-Uganda has trained over 200 women in cassava and maize processing. In addition, trainings in post harvest management and food processing are periodically carried out by THP-Uganda.

• Literacy center for men and women that also functions as a training center for health officers and midwives.

• A meeting hall that can accommodate up to 200 people.

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

Future Expansion: Upon availability of funds, THP-Uganda intends to expand its work in the Iganga region. In the meantime, THP-Uganda will focus its work in the existing 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 using the positive experience in Mpigi and Kiringente epicenters as a foundation.

The community contributes sand, bricks (which they make) and manpower for the construction of the Wakiso Epicenter.