April 2007

The Hunger Project-Uganda
Update to the Global Board

To:      Members of the Global Board of Directors
From: Fitigu Tadesse, Vice President, Africa Region

During the first quarter of 2007, The Hunger Project-Uganda not only developed an excellent partnership with AFFORD, a government organization working in the health sector, but has also received 3,000 anti-malaria bed nets to be distributed to our partners, especially to the children of Mpigi epicenter. Depending on the result of this first experience, the partnership can be expanded to the other six epicenters.

Another achievement of this quarter is the inauguration of The Hunger Project-Uganda’s third government-recognized rural bank led and owned by the women of Kiboga epicenter.

Progressing through the Phases of the Epicenter Strategy During this first quarter of 2007, The Hunger Project-Uganda has been working in seven epicenters that are in various stages of evolution within the four phases: -One epicenter is in phase one--Vision, Commitment and Action (VCA) mobilization and animator-initiated projects; -One epicenter is in phase two--construction of an epicenter building; -Three epicenters are in phase three--progress on all fronts; and -Three epicenters are in phase four--self-reliance and poised to achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Hunger Project-Uganda continues to mobilize and organize the communities to end hunger and poverty through its programs on food security, health, education, safe drinking water, sanitation, empowering women, and the prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Map of epicenters in Uganda

Improving Food Security

Food production, and as a result, food security is very much improving in the seven epicenters. Our rural partners' collective work on the communal lands has increased with diversified crops such as maize and new varieties of rice and vegetables. The surplus production of maize is stored in the food banks at each epicenter for partners to be able to access staple food at all times of the year. To this end, The Hunger Project-Uganda continues to provide farmers training in agricultural techniques such as simple and drip irrigation, use of improved seeds, and the value of diversified crops. In this way, our partners can work on their land the whole year (instead of just one season per year) and thereby produce enough different kinds of food to improve nutrition for entire families.

Certificates are handed out to acknowledge the animators completion of training and positions of leadership.

Mobilizing People through Vision, Commitment and Action Workshops and Animator Trainings Our partners in Uganda are enthusiastic about attending the VCA workshops. The Hunger Project-Uganda holds the workshop in all the villages in the seven epicenters. Thousands of people, both men and women, have attended the them and hundreds of animators continue to be trained. The animators go to the villages to mobilize and empower the people to work together to become self-reliant and achieve the MDGs. Several local government officials and their staff also attend so that they share with the rest of the population the vision created by the epicenter communities.

Achieving Adult Literacy and Providing Access to Education

As part of its program to provide access to education, The Hunger Project-Uganda has established nursery schools with a feeding program in all epicenters. During the first quarter of 2007 alone, some 300 children, both boys and girls, attended the nursery schools and received one meal each day.

In addition, The Hunger Project-Uganda has functional adult literacy (FAL) classes in local languages for men and women in all seven epicenters, including the new one at Kiruhura. The adult education program gives our partners in rural areas the opportunity to improve their income-generating activities and to better manage their credit and savings activities. There is growing cooperation with the local governments to take over the expansion for more classes.

During this quarter The Hunger Project-Uganda has expanded its program to over 1,000 new students. One of the outstanding results of the literacy classes is to see the people at the graduation ceremony when they have become more confident, proud of themselves and able to communicate more effectively. Some of them who have exhibited leadership qualities are actually elected to their local councils. In particular, the women are learning how to read, write, and have been equipped with various useful skills and information in nutrition, good farming practices, as well as health and family planning.

These vegetables are the result of a micro-credit loan, which allows women farmers to secure funds for better seeds or expanded land for their farms.

Providing Access to Credit and Creating Rural Banks In Uganda, the African Woman Food Farmer Initiative (AWFFI) is effectively empowering and economically supporting the women food farmers and giving them the financial autonomy they need to produce and process more food and bring that food to the market. Many women in Uganda are able to purchase improved seeds for their food production and engage in income-generating activities such as poultry rearing and fish farming. They are earning much better incomes and can more easily pay their children’s school fees and purchase essential items for their families. In line with this effort, The Hunger Project-Uganda has inaugurated the third government-recognized bank in Kiboga epicenter this quarter.

Improving Health and Hygiene

The Hunger Project-Uganda has successfully signed a memorandum of understanding with the government agency AFFORD to receive the first batch of 3,000 mosquito bed nets to be distributed in Mpigi epicenter. Should this be successful, the partnership between The Hunger Project-Uganda and AFFORD will be extended to the other six epicenters.

Each epicenter in Uganda has a health clinic where trained nurses, provided by the Ministry of Health, are working on a full-time basis to serve the population of the entire epicenter. The Hunger Project-Uganda has provided accommodation quarters for the nurses. Thousands of people, most especially women and children, are treated at the clinics. As one of the major objectives of the health centers in all the epicenters is to ensure that maternal and child mortality are reduced significantly, midwives and nurses are permanently stationed in the compound to ensure safe deliveries and follow-ups to ensure the mother’s health after delivery. Many healthy babies are born safely at the maternity center, and receive all the necessary immunizations and follow-up. In addition, all expectant mothers come for periodical check-ups and home visits and receive the treatment they need, thus ensuring their maternal health. Each year, immunization and vaccination campaigns for children are carried out, and thousands of children have been vaccinated against the most prevalent preventable diseases like polio and tetanus.

Another way that The Hunger Project-Uganda is working to improve health and hygiene is through active cooperation between the rural populations and the local governments in the creation of protected water sources, namely boreholes, where the communities can have access to safe drinking water for home consumption. This has contributed enormously to reducing water-borne diseases.

Reducing the Spread of HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases

Workshops on "HIV/AIDS and Gender Inequality" are carried out in all seven epicenters in Uganda. In the first quarter of 2007, 8,692 people participated in these workshops. Through the on-going training, our animators have ensured that our partners, both men and women, are clear on the objectives of the program and that gender inequality is a root-cause for the spread of HIV/AIDS. Animators who have been specially trained on HIV/AIDS issues have enormously contributed to the change of people’s attitudes thanks to their commitment and active participation. Because of these workshops, various groups, like the traditional birth attendants in the epicenters, now have more awareness about doing their work in a more hygienic environment that does not subject their clients to the threat of HIV/AIDS.

Another devastating disease in Uganda is malaria, which particularly affects vulnerable children. Whenever possible, the pharmacies in the epicenter, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, provide anti-malaria medication free of charge. The bed net program at Mpigi epicenter will also go a long way to reduce the prevalence of malaria.

In conclusion, the seven epicenters in Uganda are progressing through the phases of the epicenter strategies. Particular highlights of the year included the third Hunger Project women-led rural bank being recognized by the government and a partnership with the government to provide anti-malaria bed nets to epicenter communities. 

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