The food situation in the refugee camps of Northern Uganda has become increasingly difficult as monthly rations from the World Food Programme have been diminishing. Originally refugees received 12kg of grain per month. In July 2023, however, these rations will stop for most people.
Things are already hard, there is little land available to refugees and many survived through the grain given - either by eating it or exchanging it for other things they needed.
Photo: market place in the refugee settlement
July is the start of the second growing season in northern Uganda. The 10 new groups supported by the Lent Project will be trained in sustainable agriculture techniques and shown which vegetables grow best in their area. The team also continue to support previously trained groups. There will be new fruit trees given to the group members which, once established, will provide fruit for the families or for selling for income.
We spoke to Julious and Yunia, CRESS agriculture officers in Arua on Zoom this morning, they said
"Many people have survived because of the agriculture project. The people will need to work hard to get something from the project now there is no other food.
We encourage them to work hard to survive, because there is no other way.
The people in the camp will transfer the knowledge they have gained from our project to their neighbours. In this way they help the whole community."
Photo: Group members of Paji Kido agriculture group ready to dig their garden for transplanting vegetable seedlings