Agricultural Training for Refugees
CRESS aims to increase food security for the refugee and host families by delivering training to improve nutrition and provide income generation from growing vegetables using sustainable organic techniques.
Our Agriculture Training project, based at Kasengi Riverford Organic Centre (KROC) in Kampala, seeks to train instructors who can then support refugee farmers and supply them with the necessary tools and seeds for their first crop. The project focuses on horticulture and the growing of a variety of vegetables, successfully and sustainably.
One of the organic methods used is the making of plant based compost. The picture here shows some of the members of Point E group in Imvepi refugee camp with their finished compost heap. Having relied previously on animal manure on their farms in South Sudan and having lost all their cattle during the civil war and fleeing to safety, this represents a real achievement for them.
A wide variety of vegetables are promoted and grown in both the group gardens and individual home gardens. The picture here shows the garden for the Joyful group and has the three vegetables mostly grown which are onions, cabbages and tomatoes. These represent one variety each from leaf/root/fruit vegetables categories. The farmers are trained to use crop rotation which prevents pest build up and enables efficient use of soil nutrients.
Each farmer will look to cascade their knowledge within their respective communities and will be given advice and monitored throughout the growing season to ensure success.
Agriculture Stories
Above all, we eat healthy vegetables and have meals 2-3 times a day. Our children are happy and healthy because there is food at home. The projects, gave us hope
that we would get whatever we have lost to the war in South Sudan. Life without the support from CRESS, would have been very difficult and unbearable. We thank God, all the household belongings, vegetables, paying medical bills and education of our children are possible because of CRESS support through the projects.
Hope for Orphan
Kiden Annet from Pamungu Agric is just 18 years old. She is an orphan and was forced to drop out from school because she couldn’t pay the fees, therefore she joined the group, became a member and now expresses her thanks to CRESS Africa Foundation for supporting her and enabling her to grow crops and begin in business.
Esther Ide (pictured) and Silvia Poni are members of Hope Group 2 based near Mijale.
She said that the ‘impact from the group garden is obtaining skills and knowledge which is a goodness’ and ‘the group garden is helping me as a family, I was able to lead my own family’.
Silvia Poni said that she has now the knowledge of planting vegetables, and that she will be able to stand on her own even if peace returns to South Sudan knowing how to plant vegetables in a small piece of land.’
Joyful group is also based in the refugee settlement near Mijale.
Yongale Jesilen said ‘I was able to use compost on a small plot of land and am now able to enter the savings program. I hope in the future to buy goats and chickens for my family’.
Jane Kuyunge said ‘I was able to pay for my child in school and also buy her school uniform. I hope to build a permanent house, and also to pay for a cow’.
Alice Kuyunge said ‘we are now eating a variety of vegetables, and are able to save money to cater for unforeseen cases such as sickness. I am hoping to buy a goat and to pay for my children in school providing all their necessary requirements for learning’.
