Agricultural production is threatened by the increasingly devastating impacts of climate change with West Nile region hosting high number of refugees not spared either. In an attempt to mitigate the diverse impacts of climate change, Alliance Forum for Development (AFOD) Uganda with support from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) secured land, identified refugees and host communities to form farmer groups and supported the groups with small scale irrigation equipment and farming tools as a smart means of overcoming the impact of climate change. Farmer groups are trained to grow high value quick maturing and marketable vegetables like; tomatoes, cabbages, egg plants and bitter berry “Ntula” among others. During a joint support supervision and monitoring of the farmer groups members by AFOD Uganda senior management team, board members, District local government and partners, farmer groups members attested to the followings:
Mr. Okello Waigo, the landlord, “I was motivated to give the land because for many years I have owned more than 100 acres but did not make good use of the land and felt with a project like this, I will acquire skills that will help me make the best use of my redundant land. I will join the group so that I learn the dynamics of vegetable growing using irrigation so that I will be able to grow vegetables all seasons”.
Taban, a South Sudanese refugee living in Uganda since 2016 recaps, “I have been hiring an acre of land from the host community at a cost of 100,000 Shillings but I was unable to utilize the land maximumly due to frequent dry spells experienced in the district. I needed skills on how I can grow organic vegetables all year round because I am not sure about the effects of the chemicals we use for spraying our vegetables” This has been achieved with support from AFOD.
Regina Yangi, a 54 years old mother of 7 children testified, “I decided to join the communal vegetable growing group because life had become difficult after the reduction of food ratio by WFP where each family member currently gets 3 kilograms of rice and 1 and half kilograms of beans to last for a month, with this project, I am able to supplement on the nutrition needs of my children and surplus sold pays medical bills for the family besides my relationship with the host communities have improved because, before, we used to avoid each other”.
Mr. Dominic Chandiga, a group member from the host community noted, “The project has attracted several people from both the host and refugees’ communities and with the irrigation equipment available, quality vegetable is produced by the groups, we hope to sustain our food systems, improve our family nutrition and household income because of the steady market and high demands from Maaji refugee settlement and Obongi town council market”.
Mr. Alexander Andama, the field coordinator of Palm Corps said, “The livelihood project is complementing the reduced ration and improving nutrition and household income for group members noting in the last two years and half, more than 20 farmer groups have been empowered to carry out vegetable growing”.
The Executive Director-AFOD Uganda, Mr. Arizi Primo Vunni who led a team of staff, board members and different partners to the project sites in Ukusijoni and Itirikwa sub counties in Adjumani District to assess the progress of the livelihood projects on 9th November 2022 shared the followings; due to inadequate land allocated to refugee households measuring 30×30 coupled with reduced food ration provided by WFP, we realized that the nutrition needs of families have been compromised. We innovated this climate smart practice because vegetables can be grown throughout the year, it is fast yielding and highly marketable” but this required mindset change because Poverty is a state of mind which requires transformation”. AFOD formed Groups comprising of 30 members each (15 refugees and 15 host community members) with a male to female ratio of 2:1 farming on a 3-acre farm land that was offered by host community in Ayiri village, Ukusijoni sub county but more acreage of land has been promised. The project has already benefited from two solar powered mini irrigation systems for the groups in Maaji III and Pagirinya refugee settlements with 23 groups earmarked to benefit from the scheme covering 8 out of the 19 food distribution points-FDPs in Adjumani.
The WFP Business Support Assistance officer Mr. George Okot re-echoed Primo’s observation saying, “The climate smart intervention is already contributing to improved food systems but farmer groups needs more training on post-harvest management, food safety and quality so that what they produce attracts better markets”. With funding support, AFOD intends to train more farmer groups on; value addition, marketing and mitigation of post-harvest losses as well as scale up the scope of the project. We have learnt that climate risks can be turned into opportunities to improve rural lives using rural solutions. AFOD’s responses to climate change in agriculture is gender-specific with women actively involved in climate change adaptation and mitigation activities to enhance household food security and livelihoods.