Restoring food security in female headed households

Margaret shows off one of the granaries she now owns

In Kuju Sub-County, Kuju Parish, Amuria district, we find Achan Margaret. A wife, mother and a farmer, Achan is one of the selected women that benefited from the food security sensitization and awareness meetings conducted by Forum for Women in Democracy back in July 2012. In a recent interview with her, Achan shared with us one of her major accomplishments which she attributes to this sensitization. Today she and her family worry less about the famine which often affects her community during the dry season and in addition, her family has registered a slight increase in their household income.

In these sensitization and awarenessmeetings that Achan attended with other women from her village, she learnt about post-harvest handling, food storage and marketing. Achan practiced one of the lessons shared in these meetings, having previously used her hut as storage for seeds, Achan resolved to build granaries to improve on storage of her harvest. To date she owns three of them and at the time of our visit to her these granaries were filled with millet, ground nuts, peas, and maize, each in its own granary. This new storage system according to Achan has prevented her crops from being infested with termites, cockroaches and rats which formerly feasted on her crops. Another challenge with the previous storage system was the moist which would easily decay the crops. Because of these challenges, Achan barely had enough food supply for her family not even a surplus for replanting.

The fact that pests do not eat her produce anymore leaves her with extra produce for sell, food but also seeds for the next season. “Termites and rats are the greatest enemies for our produce but with the new method of food storage I can now at least save up to at least ten bags of produce compared to 8 bags that I would remain with before” says Achan. Furthermore, with this increased amount of produce at her disposal, Achan saves enough even to sell and get income to buy household basic needs. “During the dry season, I survive on the food I keep in the granary unlike before where we would starve.”

From the income that she generated from selling some of her extra harvest, Achan went ahead and bought 1 cow at 400,000 Ugandan shillings and three goats each at 85,000, 70,000 and 55,000 Ugandan shillings which she hopes will enhance her farm activity but also supplement on her household income.

This intervention is part of the funding for leadership and opportunities for women project implemented by FOWODE with support from Diakonia and the Government of the Kingdoms of Netherlands. The project which focuses on increasing food security among female headed households in Amuru, Amuria and Napak districts has so far supported 750 farmers since 2012.