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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has signed an agreement with the Government of Sweden represented by the Embassy of Sweden in Uganda to implement a 5 year project to support women in Karamoja and West Nile in addressing climate change challenges and improving household income.

The project, “Climate Resilient Livelihood Opportunities for Women Economic Empowerment (CRWEE) in Karamoja and West Nile Regions of Uganda,” funded by the Government of Sweden aims to strengthen inclusive, gender responsive and climate change resilience of rural women populations depending on agricultural production systems in Karamoja and West Nile Regions.

This project will work to empower disadvantaged women and youth including those in refugee camps, through enhanced capacity, addressing the root causes of gender inequalities at both household and community level and improved access of women to productive resources such as land, water and forests in 8 districts in West Nile (Arua, Adjumani, Zombo, Yumbe, Koboko, Nebbi, Maracha, and Moyo) and 4 in Karamoja sub region (Abim, Napak, Nakapiripirit, and Moroto).

Working closely with national and district local institutions such as the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, in collaboration with Ministry of Water and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Prime Minister, Civil Society organizations and the private sector, the project will ensure sustainability of its results through aligning its activities to national and local priorities and plans,  using national systems where possible to promote local stakeholder participation and ownership.

Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the Swedish Embassy in Uganda, Ms. Priya Gujadhur, and the FAO Deputy Country Representative and Representative a.i. said that FAO will work with responsible stakeholders to ensure that it benefits the rural women who suffer the biggest brunt of climate change impacts.

“This project is looking to effect change – change in the way we do agriculture by focusing on climate-smart agricultural techniques and change in the mindset of men, women and youth to be able to empower women and give them a voice as well as decision-making power within their households and within their communities. This change takes times. We are grateful to the Swedish Government for partnering with FAO for as much as a five-year period to see this change happen, and we are committed to ensuring the success of this project.” said Ms. Gujadhur.

She further noted that project will also make significant contribution to the implementation of FAO’s current Country Programming Framework (CPF) in Uganda (2015-2019) as it  serves all the three priority areas under the CPF including (i) sustainable production and productivity of agriculture, forestry and fisheries commodities for men, women and youth in targeted populations increased; (ii) environment for equitable access by men, women and youth to, and utilization of agricultural knowledge and information for decision-making, enhanced; and (iii) resilience of vulnerable communities and households to livelihood threats, and food and nutrition insecurity improved.

The Swedish Ambassador, H.E Per Lindgärde reiterated that Sweden remains committed to supporting Uganda in addressing issues of women empowerment, particularly with access to productive resources including land, improving livelihoods of local communities through increased production and productivity and increased resilience of poor people including refugees and host communities. He also highlighted the partnership as a symbol of the trust the Government of Sweden has in FAO to deliver results.

The new Head of Development Cooperation, Mr. Ola Hällgren, affirmed that the project strengthens Sweden’s belief in the need to build a strong nexus between humanitarian response and development in refugee hosting areas.

The Climate Resilient Opportunities for the Women Economic Empowerment project has integrated different elements to address the resilience of communities to shocks;  it has incorporated actions aimed at: addressing the environmental degradation in the two regions; improving the ability of communities to adapt to climate change; and enhancing the capacity of local partners including local governments, civil society organizations and the private sector to implement sustainable actions that can uplift communities in the two regions from poverty.

The Ambassador, in his concluding remarks, said “I would like to thank and congratulate FAO for taking the time to prepare this project. Now that the project has been approved, it is a start of an interesting phase of putting our plans into action. I would like to emphasize that our expectation is that FAO will provide an umbrella that enables various partners to plan, synergize and implement actions that reinforce each other basing on their experiences and mandates as a way of ensuring sustainability of the project and creating a long-lasting impact.”

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In the northwestern corner of Uganda in a refugee settlement called Lobule, Congolese refugee, Manasseh Budili, wakes up before dawn every day to tend to his farm. On this mildly sunny September day, he plants sweet potatoes while his wife, who is expecting their ninth child, heads to the nearby river to wash the family’s clothes. He draws the vines from a heap tucked away outside his house built with compressed earth and a grass roof. Manasseh bought the vines with money his family receives monthly from the World Food Programme (WFP).

They have also managed to rent a piece of land, situated a few kilometres away, to plant more crops including cassava, peanuts, potatoes and rice. The family also keeps four goats, three chickens and three pairs of pigeons. Three of their goats, they say, were bought with the money from WFP.

Money is ‘key to everything’

“Money is the key to everything,” says Marie. “With what we receive from WFP, we are able to stock up on silver fish, beans, peanuts, cooking oil to take us through the month”

“The first thing we do with the money is buy food,” says Manasseh. “After which we may use the reminder to buy crop seeds, small animals once in a while, and medicines which may not available at the nearby (Government) health centre. Malaria is expensive to treat.”

With money, Marie adds, you don’t have to borrow food or other items from people. You buy your own. She explains how her family, which receives UGS 31,000 (US$ 8.40) per person per month, can even buy delicacies such as rice.

Flexibility

Cash is cost-effective for WFP and it is flexible. If deployed in the right context, cash transfers empower people to make choices about what they eat, which can lead to more diversified diets and improved nutrition. They can improve access to food and help reduce the need to resort to negative coping strategies, such as selling valuable production assets to buy foot allows refugees to manage their resources.

Moreover, an independent study led by the University of California in 2016 found that the WFP cash multiplies in the local economy around the settlements, benefiting mostly Ugandans in the host communities.

WFP currently provides 230,000 refugees in Uganda with unconditional, unrestricted cash in lieu of in-kind food in settlements where the local food markets are functional. WFP’s supply chain experts also support the local food retailers to improve their efficiency, resulting in reduced prices of goods.

WFP supports Uganda’s unique refugee model

WFP’s assistance is intended to address hunger and poor nutrition in Uganda while supporting the progressive refugee model. In this unique model, the Government continues to receive refugees and resettle them in settlements rather than camps in line with the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework. The refugees are allocated land and allowed to move freely and work to rebuild their lives.

WFP is seeking to expand its cash transfers programme also in areas where financial services are generally well-functioning. Moreover, WFP is harmonizing its work with that of NGO partners in other sectors such as health, education, sanitation, water and shelter. This would allow refugees to meet other needs related to achieving the goal of Zero Hunger.

In Uganda, we are free

The Budilis come from a village called Keri in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They fled their home in 2013 leaving everything behind. Government and rebel soldiers were roaming the villages, killing people, telling others to go away or risk dying. People fled in fear.

“But in Uganda we are free,” says Marie. “If I want to go to (nearby) Koboko town, I just get up and go. If I see a Government soldier I will not fear or run for safety. Uganda is protecting us from danger, and our Ugandan neighbours are nice.”

“Even though we may not have a lot of money and may not have sufficient clothes for the children, we are safe and the children are healthy.”

WFP is extremely grateful for its donors to the refugee operation since 2017: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, multilateral donors, Norway, Republic of Korea, UN Central Emergency Response Fund, United Kingdom and United States America.

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On September 14, 2018, the Government of Uganda, Partners in Development, UN agencies and NGOs launched a new Plan that if funded will provide quality education for hundreds of thousands of refugee and host community children in Uganda.

The Education Response Plan (ERP) is the first of its kind worldwide and represents a huge policy step forward for refugee education globally. It sets out exactly how to address a crisis where more than half a million children are out of school. 57% of refugee children in Uganda (at least 353,000) and 34% of local children in refugee-hosting districts (around 171,000) do not have access to education[i].

Uganda hosts the largest number of refugees in Africa, and is one of the top refugee-hosting countries worldwide. The Plan, which was developed within the framework of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) recently adopted by all nation states, confirms Uganda’s leading global role. At country level, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the Ministry of Local Government, with UNHCR playing a catalytic role, coordinates implementation of the Framework[ii].

More refugees continue to arrive daily, with most fleeing from extreme violence in South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and other conflict-affected countries. More than 130,000 have arrived this year alone, and at least 61% are children under the age of 18. The influx is putting a severe strain on already limited school resources in local communities. Many classrooms have no walls or electricity and lacking latrines and basic sanitation facilities that are needed to accommodate so many children safely and with dignity. There is also a drastic shortage of teachers and basic materials such as books and desks. The Hon. Janet K. Museveni, the First Lady of Uganda and Minister of Education and Sports, said:

“This is a children’s crisis. None of these children chose to become a refugee, but they have had their lives ripped apart. Now we must give them the chance of a future. Education is hope. It brings a sense of normalcy to their lives ravaged by war and suffering. It protects them and helps them cope with their difficult situation, and builds a foundation from which they can reach their potential. Education is vital if we are to break the vulnerability created by conflict and displacement. We are committed to helping these children, but now Uganda needs support to make this Plan a reality. Together we can and must ensure that all children get the opportunity to access inclusive, quality education at all levels.”

The ERP has been developed by the Ministry of Education and Sports, with support from international donors, UN agencies and development organisations in Uganda. The Government of Uganda has been serving as a model example in the international community by granting refugees asylum and access to the same rights as its citizens. However, more support is urgently needed from the international community to ensure the Plan can be implemented. Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education, said:  

“Today marks an important milestone in the way that the international community, together with host governments, address the crisis situation of the 75 million children and youth in armed conflict, refugee camps, natural disasters and countries affected by epidemics deprived of their right to a quality education.”

Yasmine Sherif, Director for Education Cannot Wait, said:

“Education Cannot Wait is honored to join the Government of Uganda and local and international partners to launch the Education Response Plan for Refugees and Host Communities in Uganda. When Uganda sets a model example of welcoming such significant number of refugees, focusing on their education – it is incumbent on the rest of the world to show the same generosity in supporting Uganda to sustain her shining example.”

The Plan has been developed to align closely with Uganda’s Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) for 2017-2020. It aims to improve access to and quality of learning across all forms of education in Uganda’s 12 refugee-hosting districts, through activities including:

• Constructing new classrooms and repairing existing ones in order to make schools safer and more accessible – for example – so that children with disabilities can attend;
• Providing essential materials such as textbooks, desks and stationery;
• Addressing teacher gaps and capacity to deliver quality education to refugees and host community learners;
• Strengthening the national and district level education system for effective and sustainable service delivery;
• Getting older youth who had dropped out of school back into education, through Accelerated Education Programmes and vocational training; and
• Piloting innovations in education.

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Last week of August, an intense 3-day training workshop on documentation of historical buildings was undertaken by the Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) under the auspices of the European Union (EU). The training represents the first activity of the project in Support of the Protection of Historical Buildings in Kampala, Jinja and Entebbe, financed by the European Union in the context of the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage. The training benefited 20 participants who include photographers,  historians, architects and researchers, as well as officers of the local authorities.

Speaking at the opening of the training on August 27, the European Union Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Attilio Pacifici, said that the EU has dedicated 2018 to celebrate cultural heritage and showcase Europe’s heritage, its richness and diversity and its importance as a source of history, the basis for a solid future, as well as an opportunity for economic activity. These same values are shared by the EU with Uganda, where the historical, architectural and social values of a great number of buildings are very often ignored.

“As the result of the limited awareness of the importance of cultural heritage, coupled with demand for ‘modern’ structures and facilities, the rural-urban migration and rapid population growth, cultural heritage preservation has become a vital and urgent issue,” said Ambassador Pacifici.

The purpose of the project is to document, establish an inventory, raise awareness and advocate for the protection of the many beautiful buildings located in the three targeted cities, and eventually for their restoration/rehabilitation.

For the first step of the process in documentation, two European facilitators – a freelance photographer specialized in interiors and an architect specialized in documentation and planning for conservation of heritage buildings – have animated the workshop. Trial field works have been carried out at the Bulange, the seat of the Buganda kingdom, at Mengo Primary School and at the Namirembe Cathedral.

In the 3 days following the workshop, the facilitators will further tutor three photographers and three researchers from among the trainees. This team of six will eventually document, along a 1-month long exercise, a number of historical buildings and sites in the 3 targeted cities, such as the Railway station, the Uganda National Theatre, Kisingiri house in Kampala; the Madhvani building, various Asian shops, the railway bridge in Jinja; the Lake Victoria hotel, the old airport terminal in Entebbe, Grade A hospital, just to name a few.

The list of historical buildings in need of protection in Kampala, Jinja and Entebbe is very long and hopefully in the future all of them will be considered, as well as historical buildings and sites all over the country, said Ambassador Pacifici.  He noted that the very committed group of trainees has “the responsibility to pave the way for a ground-breaking perspective about historical buildings in Uganda, and an innovative approach to their use, re-use and management.”

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On August 15, 2018, a new Mbale GIZ office was opened by H.E. Dr. Albrecht Conze, the German Ambassador to Uganda, the District Chairperson (LC5) for Mbale, Hon. Mujasi Bernard, and Mr Thomas Tiedemann, acting Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Uganda.

The new regional cooperation office will mainly focus on strengthening governance and civil society in Eastern Uganda through implementation of the “Civil Society in Uganda Support Programme” (CUSP). The programme is co-funded by the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany and implemented by GIZ, which stands for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, one of the implementing agencies of the German Development Cooperation. The EU is funding “CUSP” with a 25million Euros grant, with German Government funding amounting to 5.3million Euros, the whole amount being equivalent to 128.3 billion Uganda shillings.

More than 100 guests were present at the opening ceremony, mostly from district authorities and civil society organizations in Eastern Uganda. The event was graced with a short cultural performance, followed by welcoming remarks by the LC I Chairperson, Nankupa Cell and by Dr. Eckart Bode, the GIZ Portfolio Manager in Uganda. Hon. Mujasi, Ambassador Conze and Mr Tiedemann underscored the importance of civil society to Uganda’s development, praising the close collaboration between Uganda, Germany and the European Union

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The Director General of the World Health Organization Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti visited Uganda on their way from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to assess the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) response. They were received by the WHO Representative in Uganda, Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam who briefed them on WHO support to the operational preparedness of Uganda to respond to an outbreak.

Dr Yonas informed them that the Ministry of Health with support from partners including WHO have deployed preparedness teams in the five high-risk districts of Uganda that share a border with DRC. These include Bundibugyo, Hoima, Kabarole, Kasese and Ntoroko.

The teams deployed comprise of experts in case management, community engagement, health promotion and surveillance. Additionally, Dr Yonas pointed out that WHO has deployed two Ebola Kits as well as logistical support.

The WHO dignitaries also met the Prime Minister of Uganda, Right Honorable Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, the Minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the State Minister for Health in charge of General Duties, Hon. Sarah Opendi and other government officials.  Their discussion focused on EVD preparedness, the threat for importation from DRC; mitigation measures; National Task Force strengthening, EVD vaccination; funding; technical support from WHO; and partner coordination.

On the same day, Dr Tedros held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Sam Kutesa on Uganda’s EVD preparedness and discussed WHO support and priorities for actions.

Dr Tedros applauded Uganda for responding fast and effectively to prevent the outbreak from spreading into the country. He further highlighted that outbreak response is an important aspect of WHO and committed the support of all levels of the organization in the preparedness response.

Dr Tedros was particularly concerned about the insecurity in Ituri Province of DRC, the epicentre of the outbreak, which is hampering WHO response activities. He, however, hoped that the conflicting sides in DRC will respect international law and allow WHO and partners to access all areas in order to contain the Ebola outbreak.

Similarly, in remarks she made at Entebbe Airport, Dr Moeti commended Uganda for its timely preparedness and response, reminding the officials of the porous borders between Uganda and Congo which need strong surveillance and border screening. She committed the WHO Regional Office for Africa to support Uganda in its operational preparedness working with the Ministry of Health.

The United Nations Population Fund has donated midwifery skills lab equipment to Principal Tutors to twenty Midwifery Training Institutions in Uganda. With support from the Swedish government, the equipment worth USD 151,311 (UGX 552,285,150) is to improve the quality of midwifery education, increase the numbers of competent midwives and thus increase skilled attendance in Uganda.

“This is a moment of joy,” said Hon. Chrysostom Muyingo, Minister of State for Higher Education, who received the equipment on behalf of the government of Uganda and handed them over to the principals of the respective Midwifery Institutions.

The occasion took place at the Health Tutors’ College, Mulago on August 9. The Minister thanked the Swedish government for supporting midwifery programming in Uganda and appealed to the midwives to put the equipment to proper use and purpose for the benefit of mothers and their babies. He said maternal health for all mothers and their babies can only be achieved with good quality care and effective skilling of midwives so as to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 5, reiterating government’s commitment to continue supporting midwifery training in Uganda. Speaking on behalf of the Embassy of Sweden in Uganda, the National Program Officer, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Ms. Annelie Areskär said Sweden is pleased to have an important long-term support to midwives in Uganda through UNFPA:

“We are proud to have been able to support you as a response to improving the quality of midwifery education through equipping the Skills Lab in the 20 Midwifery Training Institutions,” she said, adding that midwifery is a key element of sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health care. Investment in midwives is interpreted by Sweden as not only an investment to save lives of mothers and newborn children. It goes beyond and lay the ground for individuals and families to plan their lives, enabling them to make informed choices. Midwives support and promote healthy families, and empower women and couples to choose whether, when and how often to have children,” she said.

In his remarks, UNFPA Representative Mr. Alain Sibenaler recognized the long-term support that Sweden has provided for the midwifery programme in Uganda, adding that without skilled birth attendance, giving life can neither be safe, nor referred on time, nor dealt with in an appropriate way.

“Today, as we hand over this equipment to the Principal Tutors, I feel inspired and well assured that it is the right investment. Ensuring that student midwives are trained in well-equipped skills labs is one of the ways to acquire competences and be able to provide quality care to mothers and their babies,” Mr. Sibenaler said.

The equipment consisted of among others female pelvis, Neonatal resuscitation apparatus, Maama Natalie, and Placenta models. UNFPA is, and will always be committed to skills development through quality midwifery training. We are committed to ensuring zero maternal death, zero unmet need for family planning and zero tolerance to violence and harmful practices against women and girls, the Representative concluded.

Since 2010, UNFPA, with support from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), 60 Midwifery Tutors have been trained to reduce on the Tutor-Student ratio. The Midwifery curriculum has also been reviewed to make it competency-based and has incorporated the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) standards. UNFPA has also supported training of over 500 midwives for the underserved areas under a bonding scheme.

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In a bid to respond to the Fall Armyworm (FAW) outbreaks and minimize the pest’s destruction of crops, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations working with the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), have rolled out the use of a mobile phone application – Fall Armyworm Monitoring and Early Warning System (FAMEWS), for FAW monitoring and early warning.

The equipment included 126 mobile phones loaded with the FAMEWS app will be used in 15 districts to pilot a community based FAW monitoring and early warning system. These districts include; Mukono, Iganga, Bulamburi, Nakapiripirit, Oyam, Adjumani, Kiryandong, Kibaale, Kasese, Lira, Kayunga, Soroti, Busia, Masindi and Luwero. Other items handed over to MAAIF included 700 pheromone traps and 6000 lures facilitate detection of the presence and build-up of FAW and to capture adult moths.

The use of pheromone traps is instrumental in detecting the presence and build-up of FAW in areas where the traps are deployed. Pheromones are natural compounds emitted by female FAW moths to attract male moths for mating. Synthetic compounds that mimic natural FAW pheromones, often referred to as lures, are placed in traps to attract and trap male moths. Moths that are caught are then counted. The numbers are recorded on the mobile app and submitted to FAO central platform with countries having rights to access and validate. From the numbers caught, farmers can know if FAW is present in their fields or in their locality and determine the need for increased scouting. This support comes as farmers are planning and preparing their gardens for the second planting season expected to start by the end of August 2018.

Speaking at the handover ceremony on 13 August 2018, at Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (ZARDI) in Mukono District, the Assistant FAO Representative in charge of Programmes, Dr Charles Owach, emphasized the importance of setting up a community-based system for monitoring, early detection and the management of the devastating pest. “The major action required for effective and sustainable management of FAW is at the community level. With the community monitoring system, farmers can make informed decisions for early action, that is, timely scouting of their fields and undertaking appropriate control actions,” he said.

Through the community monitoring system, extension workers at local, district and national level will be able to appropriately advise farmers on FAW control. The system also monitors the spread of FAW across geographical areas nationally and at continental level. The FAMEWS mobile app has been rolled out in a number of countries but more in Sub-Saharan countries in Africa with notable success in Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and others. It will be expanded to North Africa, the Near East, India and other parts of Asia where FAW is spreading.

The monitoring system will benefit communities dependent on maize for food and income. Early detection, and as a result, collecting and analysing information, is essential for tracking and efficiently responding to the large-scale threat posed by FAW.

Stephen Byantwale, the Commissioner for Crop Protection at MAAIF, received the equipment on behalf of Government. He noted that whereas Uganda realised a bumper maize harvest during the first season of 2018 (compared to 2017 where more than half of the maize crop was lost to the FAW), “there is need to continue monitoring because the residual populations of the FAW have the potential to cause more outbreaks”

“We are grateful to FAO for the items we will be deploying in communities as a pilot project. Based on the results, the government will explore opportunities to roll out this approach to other districts given that the data available so far indicates presence of FAW in all districts in Uganda,” said Mr Byantware.

He urged farmers to start scouting as they prepare to plant maize for the onset second season.
“Now that we know what the pest is, there is need for sustainable control and management mechanisms which are safer for both humans and the environment such as the use of natural biological control agents, mechanical destruction of egg masses and larvae among others. Pesticides should come as a very last resort” he said.

The use of biological mechanisms such wasps, nematodes, and some fungus that attack and destroy the caterpillars is being studied by the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO). This move is aimed at minimising the use of pesticides in the management of FAW.

He stated that Uganda has a national strategy and action plan for control of FAW which has short, medium and long term measures and commended FAO for supporting the Government of Uganda to implement national its FAW control and management strategy through the technical cooperation project and sub-regional project on FAW.
About FAW.

Fall Armyworm (FAW) is an insect pest native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. Since it was first reported in 2016, FAW has spread across sub-Saharan Africa, causing extensive and widespread damage, particularly to maize crops. By mid-2017, FAW was present in all of Uganda’s districts, causing between 15 and 75 percent yield loss. An estimated 450 000 metric tonnes of maize, equivalent to US$ 192 million was lost during the first cropping season of 2017, directly affecting 3.6 million people, or nine percent of the population.

About four million farmers in Uganda grow maize, producing four million metric tonnes annually. Maize is also one of the cheapest sources of calories in the country, making FAW a serious threat to both livelihoods and food security in Uganda.

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The Project for Capacity Development of Local Government for Strengthening Community Resilience in Acholi and West Nile Sub-Regions (WA-CAP) aims at further strengthening planning and implementation capacity of the local government officials in all of the 17 districts in Acholi and West Nile Sub-regions. The project has the component which aims at enhancing livelihood of the community through Community Driven Development approach. Some of the community members selected the use of oxen and ox-ploughs to improve cultivation and enhance their livelihood.

Economic empowerment of community groups and building stronger relationships amongst their members is very important in reducing their vulnerability status and also ensuring complete economic recovery from the long-lasted insurgencies. 32 community groups from 16 Sub-Counties of Acholi Sub-Region are throwing away their labour-intensive hand hoes in favour of oxen to plough their land. The membership of the groups is inclusive enough to take care of different categories of persons in the communitysuch as widows, persons with disabilities, elderly, youths, HIV affected Households, and war-affected persons.

According to Mr Oyoo Fabio, chairperson of Owir Pii Lukeme Farmers’ Group in Omiya Parcwa, Sub-County, Agago District, 1.5 acres of land can now be tilled in a day as opposed to hand hoes that would take about two weeks for the same piece of land. He added that they were able to plough 38 acres of group garden and 30 acres of individual gardens last season alone.

JICA WA-CAP has supported 32 farmers’ groups from Acholi Sub-Region with farm equipment as well as the necessary hands-on trainings on how to take good care of their animals to plough the land in 2016 and 2017. In 2017 and 2018, 36 groups from West Nile Sub-Region as well is being supported with such equipment and trainings for livelihood improvement (not limited to animal traction). In case of the animal traction, each group receives 3 pairs of oxen, 3 pieces of ox-ploughs and a spray pump in addition to the training support rendered to the groups by Community Development Officers (CDOs) in their respective Sub-Counties.

Before the oxen can be used for farm work, they are trained by an experienced member within the group and also other group members equally learn during the ox-plough training process. The trainers are normally from the group and sometimes out-sourced from the community at a reasonable cost in situations whereby the group does not have experienced members.

The group works together to plough their respective tillage plots. This model greatly increases the acreage of land that is tilled. In addition, it enables timely planting and ploughing to deeper depths hence crop yields are increased significantly.

WA-CAP promotes a participatory approach to procurement amongst the groups by involving the groups representatives i.e. at least three members from each group with good knowledge and experiences on ox traction in the procurement process by facilitating them to go to the Animal market in Amach, Lira District to select animals of their desired choices (that are of good quality and ideal for ploughing) visa vie other factors considered.

Also, cost sharing is being emphasized amongst the groups which aspect will help to ensure that the financial burden of operation and management of the project does not fall too heavily on one stakeholder. It will also ensure a greater sense of commitment and ownership by the groups. It is true that community groups do not have enough funds to share the financial burden but in such cases funding ‘in kind’ (time, personnel, local materials etc.) provides a mechanism to the contribution of resource-limited groups, this has proved successful at the community level where farmers contribute labour, land and other relevant materials that are available to them and relevant to the project.

Community-Based Approach

JICA WA-CAP has moved away from a service-delivery approach to increased focus on empowerment and community-led approaches through basic active community participation that is always facilitated and encouraged by CDOs.

JICA works in partnership with lower level Local Government structures, CDOs in particular, to conduct groups’ appraisals/ assessments at local level by taking into consideration the 4 aspects (suitability of the group, appropriateness of the project applied for, management/leadership capacity and technical capacity of the group). The results screen their development needs which are discussed further during the next stage. Community participation (at least 80%) is encouraged throughout the process to promote commitments, ownership and enhance transparency, sustainability.

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On July 9, 2018, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Bank Group announced a $12 million (UGX46 billion) multi-donor Trust Fund to support the Government of Uganda strengthen implementation of its second National Development Plan (NDPII).  The announcement was made at a media briefing held at the World Bank office, jointly addressed by Christina Malmberg Calvo, World Bank Country Manager, and Jennie Barugh, Head of DFID in Uganda. Dr Joseph Muvawala, the Executive Director, National Planning Authority, and Timothy Lubanga, Asistant Commissioner, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Office of the Prime Minister also addressed the media, and appreciated the continued partnership and support to the Government. The meeting was also attended by Fred Twesiime, Acting Commissioner, Development Assistance and Regional Cooperation, Ministry of Finance, and several officials from DFID, as well as Bank staff.

The Trust Fund will run for three and a half years, and will enable the government to carry out research and move forward with reforms to raise more domestic revenues, improve public investment management, including attracting new private sector capital to finance infrastructure, and to support governance and anti-corruption efforts.

The NDPII, which is well into its mid-point, aims to transform the country into a modern and prosperous economy by 2040. To achieve this target, the government has increased investments in infrastructure to address the binding constraints to growth and job creation. But low domestic revenue collections and savings, and poor management of public investments continue to hinder efforts to improve service delivery, boost inclusive and sustainable growth; and reduce poverty.

“This partnership between DFID, Government and the World Bank provides an opportunity to close the gaps in revenue collection and service delivery, and help Uganda get a better return on its public investments.  The Trust Fund will support Government to strengthen management of public investments so that the right investments are selected, competitively procured and supervised, implemented on time, and subsequently maintained to deliver the intended impact on economic growth and poverty reduction,” said Christina Malmberg Calvo, World Bank Country Manager for Uganda.

The Trust Fund will benefit government ministries, departments and agencies that are able to bring new knowledge and development experiences to inform and improve planning and implementation of government programs. The first round of call for proposals closed on June 14, 2018, and subsequent rounds will follow every after six months until the funds are fully used. A Joint Advisory Committee will oversee the Trust Fund, and is comprised of the heads of the World Bank and DFID, and government representative from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, National Planning Authority and the Office of the Prime Minister.

“Our contribution to this World Bank Trust Fund, aimed at improving public investment management and raising domestic revenues, with more transparency, reconfirms the UK commitment to support the delivery of the NDPII.  Currently, Uganda gets low returns from public investments and raises less in revenue than other East African countries.  Addressing these issues will improve economic growth rates and assist Uganda realize the aspiration to become a middle-income country,” said Jennie Barugh, Head of DFID in Uganda.

The Trust Fund has a rapid response window that will enable the World Bank to provide quick policy advice, technical assistance, and any other interventions, as need may arise. This is the second such partnership between DFID and the World Bank. The first Trust Fund, also totaling $12 million, supported the government to successfully implement the first phase of the NDP from 2010-/11 to 2014/15.

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