Going beyond food aid to enabling community resilience – World Vision Uganda in Karamoja

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

By Flavia Lanyero  

It has been common cliché in Uganda to say ‘we shall not wait for Karamoja to develop’. Usually said in jest, it typically shows how Ugandans perceive Karamoja as a place unable to progress and if it did, it would at a very slow pace.

Located in the north eastern part of the country, Karamoja has lagged behind other districts characterised by poor education and health services, poor sanitation and open defecation practices, bad roads, inadequate clean no clean water sources and other aspects.

  According to the Humanitarian Profile (2012), the sub-region has the lowest human development indices in the country. The same report shows that nearly 80 percent of the population experienced some degree of food insecurity, mainly due to unreliable rainfall; with the seven districts of Kaabong, Abim, Kotido, Nakapiripirit, Amudat, Napak and Moroto, located within a "red" food security zone while local culture of cattle rustling within the region and neighbours across the border has also kept the area insecure.

 Today, however, the story is changing. Thanks to the influx of relief and development organisations like World Vision, people’s lives are beginning to transforming for the better. Having started as a relief organisation in the region to give food aid, World Vision is now focusing on building community and household resilience for people not only to feed themselves but also to live healthy and happier lives.

Working in three districts of Kaabong, Abim and Kotido, World Vision’s projects in the region are focusing on Food Security and Livelihood development, Health, Climate Change and Adaptation and Education sectors. People are now slowly growing their own food, engaging in group savings as well as opening up small scale businesses.

 The projects include; Karamoja Growth Health and Governance (GHG) implemented in partnership with Mercy Corps and funded by USAID, Karamoja General Food Distribution Project GFD funded by the World Food Programme, Northern Uganda Social Action Fund NUSAF II funded by the World Food Programme, Abim Food Securty and Livelihoods Project (AFWASH) funded by World Vision Korea and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Kaabong Livelihoods Enhancement Project (KLEP II) funded by World Vision Hong Kong, Fortifying Families in Kaabong Project (FFK) funded by World Vision Australia, Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration Project (FMNR) and Integrated Use of Modern and Traditional Approaches to Climate Forecasting (IMTAC).

 In the Growth Health and Governance programme, for instance, the emphasis is to improve nutrition among children under five and also prevent malnutrition in children under two.  

 “I appreciate the programme of farmer gardens that World Vision introduced to us. The vegetables grow very fast and I am able to feed my family on them regularly. In fact my children no longer fall sick regularly,” said Anna Naru, a beneficiary of the GHG project in Nakal village, Kotido district.

In Kaabong district, a beneficiary of the FFK project which seeks to enhance sustainable livelihood security among the agro pastoralist communities had this to say: “I got two loans of 500,000 shillings, I used the loan to boost the stock in my shop and to grow beans and groundnuts. The profit I get helps me to pay school fees and buy scholastic materials for my children- Gerald Lokwang aged five and Petra Atimo aged six who are in nursery school,”- Irene Chipa a 26 year old mother in Kathile trading centre in Kathile sub-county, Kaabong district.

 According to the World Vision Karamoja region 2014 program report outline,  2,633.525Metric Tons of food was distributed to 67,315 children under two years, pregnant and lactating mothers and beneficiaries on protection ratios under the GHG programme; Under the NUSAF programme, 5 water dams and 1 rock catchment water plant of 37,000 m3 was constructed to supply water for human and animal consumption.130 ha of land planted with fruit trees and 40 ha identified for rehabilitation under the Famer Managed Natural Regeneration activities while 749 bee hives and its accessories were given to 14 community groups.

In AFWASH, 150 oxen have been provided to the 25 groups. The farmers groups purchased 75 ox ploughs using their own financial contributions. In FFK Opened 330 hectares of land was opened with tractor to increase farmer production among other achievements.

 Following an August 2015 tour of the region, World Vision Uganda’s National Director Gilbert Kamanga remarked that; “Karamoja has the potential to teach the rest of Uganda that it is possible to move from a state of hopelessness to fruitfulness.”  

Mr Kamanga said that Karamoja is one of the key focus areas for World Vision Uganda where the office wants to achieve food security, household and community resilience.  

 “We want to see households taking farming and also treat livestock as a business. What we now lack is helping farmers grow on a large scale and that will be our focus,” said Mr Kamanga.

 Other focus areas for the region Mr Kamanga said include; reducing maternal and child death, ending early marriage, improving child health and enhance child protection.

 Simon Peter Lokiru the Resident District Commissioner for Kaabong sums up World Vision in Karamoja as a multipurpose development partner. “World Vision is a multipurpose development partner because it touches all key development areas like health, education and livelihood for our communities. World Vision’s work is pro human beings and we want to continue working together as there is still demand for their services,” Mr Lokiru said.

  

Programmes in Karamoja

  • Karamoja Growth Health and Governance  (GHG) USAID funded project with a goal of the project is to improve peace and Food Security in Northern Karamoja.

 

  • Karamoja General Food Distribution Project GFD funded by the World Food Programme to Improve nutrition and health conditions of extremely vulnerable and moderately food insecure members of the communities

 

  • Northern Uganda Social Action Fund NUSAF II funded by the World Food Programme designed to support community assets creation and management with the goal of improving livelihood security among the MFIHs moderately food insecure households

 

  • Abim Food Securty and Livelihoods Project (AFWASH) funded by World Vision Korea and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to achieve Food Security, livelihoods enhancement and water and sanitation (WASH).

 

  • Kaabong Livelihoods Enhancement Project (KLEP II) funded by World Vision Hong Kong aimed at improving the level of food and income security among the agro-pastoralists communities in three sub counties of Kaabong district.

 

  • Fortifying Families in Kaabong Project (FFK) funded by World Vision Australia to enhance sustainable livelihood security among the agropastoralists communities in Kaabong district.

 

  • Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration Project (FMNR) to increase productivity of unproductive land
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  •  Integrated Use of Modern and Traditional Approaches to Climate Forecasting  (IMTAC)  to improve access and use of weather forecast for agriculture

 

planning and decision making by rural farmers