Food Security and Sustainable Livelihoods
In most families of Uganda, availability of food to sustain the family remains myth. Absence of meals affects the health of family members. Due to poverty, this situation though is complex in rural areas, which produce most of the country’s food.. The wife in the family does not control the produce and sales returns of the family; she does not enjoy the benefits of her sweat. Ntulume Village Women Development Association has struggled against this phenomenon for the last 32 years. It empowers women and creates awareness about their rights, make decisions and manage their own affairs. |
NVIWODA partnered with South Mawokota Development ActivistsinActivists in Mpigi District, which is 66 KM South West of Kampala, it is situated along the equator with a favorable climate for agriculture and Nezikokolima Women Group in Kabulasoke -Gomba District.
These are NVIWODA’S 32nd women groups so far reached out in rural areas. The women groups comprise of 154 households with women farmers located in various parishes in their districts.
NVIWODA trains women farmers in integrated and sustainable agriculture, indigenous poultry keeping, mushroom growing, vegetables growing, rain water harvesting, entrepreneurship Farm planning and Record Keeping, Human rights of women, awareness on land and domestic violence. At the end of it all, to trickle knowledge and educate other women within the community using sensitization Drama.
These components would equip women with knowledge and practice of modern farming; introduce them to commercial farming and income generation. Build women entrepreneurial capacity that will help them improve their livelihood, create awareness on women land rights and domestic violence.
NVIWODA trains women, organizes field learning tours and hands on skills training. The women spend six days training on sustainable and integrated agriculture and for three days the women are given skills on indigenous poultry keeping, mushroom growing, vegetable growing, and animal husbandry which can earn a rural woman an average Ug.Shs.1,750,000/= per month. In addition women are offered knowledge on Entrepreneurship skills to make decisions, manage rights in business and market research to sale their products.
All the above activities can be achieved on land; but unfortunately women do not own land. So NVIWODA creates awareness on what rights women have to utilize family land, how-to acquire land and obtain land agreements.
At the end of it all, NVIWODA reserved time and closely follows up the women farmers beneficiaries through individual household monitoring visits to evaluate knowledge application.
