Improving Food and Nutrition

Improving Food and Nutrition

IMPROVING FOOD AND NUTRITION IN 22 HOUSEHOLDS IN KABULASOKE SUB-COUNTY – GOMBA DISTRICT.

Ntulume Village Women Development Association (NVIWODA, has over thirty years of its existence tirelessly worked towards improving the lives of women in both semi urban and rural areas in various districts of Uganda.
Empowering programmes carried out by the organization range from women entrepreneurship and career development, hands on skills training, empowering women in knowing their human rights, Integrated and sustainable organic agriculture to address issues hunger, malnutrition and food security at household level.
To ensure that women achieve both social, economic, and human rights empowerment, NVIWODA organizes and transfers need based knowledge and trainings that address and improves the life of a woman and later entire family. This is achieved through awareness training, practical, theoretical knowledge and hands on education.
To enable NVIWODA pursue its mission it has networked and collaborates with other organizations i.e. Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) National Association of Women NGO’s of Uganda, (NAWOU), Development Network of Indigenous Voluntary Association’s (DENIVA), St. Jude Family Project, Spark Argo-Initiative Ltd, Uganda Small Scale Industries Association (USSIA) and others. Many women who have undergone through NVIWODA programmes testify that the knowledge and skills gained have indeed greatly impacted their lives, families and communities
With a grant from Global Fund for Women – U.S.A, members of Nezikokolima Women Group found in Gumbo District, have benefited from ongoing food security project. The project is aimed at improving food security at household level, as well as improving incomes of women later. 22 women farmers are undergoing trainings in sustainable and integrated agriculture, land rights awareness, prevention of domestic violence and business development. NVIWODA’S major focus in the Food Security Project is to ensure that women farmers access to healthy food and improve their health and nutrition.
The farmers are individually reached out at their households to make sure knowledge acquired is efficiently put into real practice at family level. In preparation for the anticipated rainy season farmers have been introduced to new rain water harvesting techniques. Varieties of vegetable seeds i.e. eggplant, tomatoes, Green pepper, Beetroot, onions, Kale, Cabbage, Leek, and carrots have been introduced and distributed. (Women say they had not grown the seed varieties before).
To assess the impact of our trainings, NVIWODA carried out a monitoring visit to the farmer beneficiary households, notwithstanding the dry weather conditions, the women were able to apply the knowledge acquired and waited for the rains to come. Heaps of prepared organic composed manure and Jerry cans full of organic plant tea were in the vicinity.

Regardless of dry hard ground, women were able to at least dig 72 pits ready for planting banana suckers (Matooke). Some of the beneficiary farmers like Nakuya Mary, Plaxeda Namulondo and Terusala Margret have trained and shared knowledge with over 54 women practicing farming in their communities. (The women trained, are not part of the food security Project)

In order to diversify the knowledge and food sauces, the women farmers were introduced to growing Oyster Mushroom and for two consecutive days, the farmers under scotching sun labored, and underwent through practical processes of growing oyster mushroom. This is aimed at improving nutrition and health, access to food sauce, as well as in the future diversifies incomes at household.
With the help of the trainers, the women were involved in the construction of Dark room and Irrigation mushroom house. Credit goes to Nakalembe Pastakazia , who agreed to construct the group Mushroom Project at her home.
The training was participatory as women carried grass, and other materials to put up the Nezikokolima women’s group – Mushroom Project House at Namulaba- Kabulasoke

Despite the changing weather conditions, NVIWODA anticipates the Food Security Project in Kabulasoke – Gomba to progress positively, as women farmers are enthusiastic about the knowledge acquired.