Plant Resources of Tropical Africa

Food security and income enhanced for farmers of Mukono District, Uganda

As is the case in many sub Saharan countries, the poverty level in Uganda is on the rise with many families having to do with only one meal a day. This is a result of a combination of factors including low farm productivity, inadequate inputs (machinery/seeds), limited agricultural advisory services, lack of information on production practice and post harvest handling. Food shortages threaten entire villages in rural Uganda today.

A farmer in Katente in her store of harvested maize

The Bukunja Rural Women and Youth Services (BRUWAYS), a local community based organisation initiated two projects to address the above shortage of food and poverty levels in Mukono District in Uganda, using information mainly from PROTA 1: Cereals and pulses and PROTA 3: Dyes and tannins handboks. The overall objective of the projects was to improve household food security and income and also create awareness about usage of natural dyes for making of crafts in a two pronged approach. The projects targeted 80 farmers in seven villages of Ssi, Masaba, Katente, Nkokonjeru, Kikwayi, Bbuga and Mulajje. The farmers were trained on propagation, on farm management, harvesting and post harvest handling of the crops as described in the PROTA handbooks, sustainable agricultural practices, good nutritional practices, business operations and management practices through a series of community based workshops. The farmers were then provided with improved seeds of maize, beans and groundnuts in form of seed loans through the financial help from Women World Day of Prayer (WWDP)-Germany. In addition, the farmers were encouraged to grow at least one of the three dye plants on their farms. The species promoted for cultivation included Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and Sappanwood (Caesalpinia sappan).

Farmers of Katente store their maize under required conditions

The project made significant contribution to food security and income among the beneficiary households. Yields of maize, beans and groundnuts increased significantly, and there was enough to feed the household members and a surplus to sell. Over 90% of households now grow at least one crop of the three introduced by the project apart from the predominant banana crop. As a result of the project 92% of the households now have at least two meals a day including breakfast. For 80% of the households, their health status improved considerably due to improved nutrition and also availability of money to pay for hospital bills. Children from the households were now attending school regularly because their parents could afford to pay the required school fees, according Mr Musoke Ssenfuma, the Director of BRUWAYS.

Ms. Nambi (with glasses) from BRUWAYs interviewing a beneficiary

The project also empowered women financially, morally and even politically and united families. According to Ms. Rhona Nambi, a Training Assistant at BRUWAYS, although initially only women were involved in the project, men were now eager and ready to join the project and the benefits were there to see. Indeed due to the high yielding seeds provided, many more women had increased acreage under cultivation as the evaluation revealed.

Some of the craft material dyed using species in PROTA 3

Although funding was not secured to further the activities of the dyes initiative, 40% of households use natural dyes for their home made crafts thereby reducing on costs. The farmers also got to know of other species that can produce dye colours, other than the ones they used, from the PROTA information.