Food Security, Nutrition and Health

As of mid-2007, the Center was working with 800 households, representing more than 7,500 people, throughout 6 localities in rural Uganda. These individuals, families, and farmers are organized in 62 groups for training and other forms of support.

Over the past several years we have witnessed significant improvements in food and nutrition security. Families are more productive and are improving their livelihoods. As of mid-2007, 77 percent of participating farm families were food secure, up from 40 percent in mid-2006 and only 9 percent in early 2005. Nearly all (90 percent) of households are now having at least two meals per day and are consuming more than 15 different foods in a typical year.

CSRL Program Activities 2007: Agriculture for Food and Nutrition Security

Objectives:
Significant and sustainable increase in food and nutrition security and in incomes for smallholder farmers in Kamuli District.

Approach:
  1. Identify needs and capabilities for agriculture for local food and nutrition security
  2. Modify training curriculum for local needs and capabilities
  3. Training-of-trainer method with 42 volunteer rural development extensionists (RDEs) who provide training and outreach in 60 villages in Kamuli District (62 farmer groups with1,117 members who have farmers and family members [totaling 7,500+ people] and represent 800 households; median landholding size is 3 acres, with 2.5 acres currently cultivated)
  4. Develop demonstration and multiplication gardens to disseminate planting materials of improved crop varieties on a modest cost-share basis
  5. Active learning and inclusive decision-making to empower local people and groups

Resources:
  • Primary — VEDCO staff, training materials and sessions, inputs; RDEs
  • Secondary — Faculty and students from Makerere University and Iowa State University

Activities:
  • 2004 — Conducted situational analysis, identified villages, groups, and RDEs, set up group managed multiplication gardens
  • 2005 — Baseline study, initiate training, promote improved varieties of key crops (cassava, banana, grain amaranth, groundnuts, orange flesh sweet potato, vegetables)
  • 2006 — Continued training and support to RDEs and farmer groups; modified approach to multiplication gardens, distribution of materials to RDEs
  • 2007 — Continued training and support to RDEs and farmer groups; establishment of associations by farmers groups for marketing of priority crops

Outcomes:
  • 2005 — 9% food secure, 48% moderately food insecure, 43% extremely food insecure
  • 2006 — 40% food secure, 22% moderately food insecure, 38% extremely food insecure
  • 2007 — 77% food secure, 13% moderately food insecure, 10% extremely food insecure
      • Crops grown:
    • maize (99%), sweet potatoes (98%), cassava (95%), bananas (91%), beans (90%), coffee (80%), groundnuts (78%), grain amaranth (54%), yams (46%), sesame (39%), soybean (38%), onions (37%), millet (35%), rice (19%), tomatoes (15%), sorghum (13%), cabbages (10%)
      • Livestock:
    • 84% have chickens (avg. 14), 70% have goats (avg. 4), 58% have cattle (avg. 4), and 37% have pigs (avg. 4)
      • Diffusion of innovations by RDEs and farmer group members to 1700+ other farmers

Lessons Learned:
  1. Farmers are eager to take advantage of learning opportunities
  2. Understand farmers and group dynamics before identifying RDEs for training

Challenges & Questions:
  1. Long-term prospects for RDEs and .certified. service providers to earn an income
  2. Group members remaining active in groups after achieving their goal(s)
  3. Sustainability of farmer groups and their associations in social and economic terms
  4. Development and management of appropriate value-added processing activities

CSRL Program Activities 2007: Nutrition and Health


Objectives:
  1. Improve household nutrition and well being through integration of nutrition and health within food security management activities
  2. Provide emergency interventions for severely malnourished infants and young children
  3. Establish school garden facilities and training/outreach for: increased value of agriculture in science curriculum; improved attitudes toward agriculture among pupils and teachers; enhanced quality and quantity of ingredients in school lunches

Approach:
  1. Identify needs and capabilities for improved health and nutrition
  2. Develop training curriculum for local needs and capabilities
  3. Training-of-trainer method with 26 volunteer community nutrition and health workers (CNHWs) who provide training and outreach in 60 villages in Kamuli District (not limited to 800 households who have members in the 62 farmer groups)
  4. Develop demonstration and multiplication gardens to disseminate planting materials of improved crop varieties, especially nutrient dense crops; demonstrate food preparation

Resources:
  • Primary — VEDCO Nutrition and Health Officer and other staff, training materials and sessions, inputs; CNHWs
  • Secondary — Faculty and students from Makerere University and Iowa State University, faculty from McGill University and University of Ghana, and students from Des Moines University

Activities
  • 2005 — Situational analysis on nutrition and health; hiring Nutrition and Health Officer; development of the CNHW concept, identification and selection of CNHWs
  • 2006 — Continued training of CNHWs and their outreach to community members; established school gardens at 4 primary schools, focusing on one (700+ pupils)
  • 2007 — Continued training of CNHWs and their outreach to community members; establishment of large school gardens in six schools and close follow up at a second primary school (400+ pupils); CNHWs and VEDCO staff trained in CPR/first aid

Outcomes:
  • 2005 — Increased knowledge and skills for VEDCO staff, CNHWs, individuals, families and communities in nutrition and health through capacity building
  • 2006 — Improved behavior, nutrition and health status in families and communities
  • 2007 — 75+% of households were consuming there food items:
    • Energy: maize, cassava, sweet potato, banana
    • Protein: beans, groundnuts, milk, fish, beef, grain amaranth (76% in 2007 versus 21% in 2006)
    • Vegetables: tomato, leafy amaranth, orange flesh sweet potato (75% in 2007 versus 28% in 2006)
    • Fruit: jackfruit, pawpaw

Lessons Learned:
  1. RDEs and CNHWs increasingly collaborate in training and outreach activities, and beginning to form local (sub-county level) 'associations' to support each other (for long term sustainability and agencies to provide higher-level support services
  2. Involving the school board, PTA and parents in the school garden project ensures sustainability and increased acceptance by the pupils

Challenges & Questions
  1. Long-term roles for CNHWs as service providers who volunteer or earn an income
  2. Opportunities for CNHWs to obtain additional training after CSRL support stops
  3. Mechanisms to link CNHWs with government/private health center service providers

Learn more about CSRL's efforts to strengthen local communities.

    Relevant reports include:

  1. Agricultural Production, Post-Harvest Storage, Value-Added Processing, and Marketing. Report
  2. Farmer Field Schools, Farmer Organizations and Associations, and other Participatory Approaches to Development. Report
  3. Nutrition and Community Health as they relate to Agricultural Production, Post-Harvest Storage, Value-Added Processing, and Marketing. Report

If you have interest or expertise in issues of food security, nutrition, sanitation or health, please contact the Center to learn about possible opportunities for involvement. In order to fulfill its mission, CSRL welcomes all gifts. Please consider contributing to the health and well-being of others by giving a gift today.