Food Security Evaluation in Nebbi

by Eric

"Nowadays, I even go into homes and break up fights between a husband and wife, fights where other people are afraid to even enter the house because the husband and wife are fighting with knives," a woman told us. As I sat and listened to the story, even the breeze that was blowing and the shade of the mango tree wasn't enough to keep me from wishing for a cooler place. This testimony was one of many we heard that day, of how training in gender roles had impacted a family. I joined the evaluation team from World Renew that was evaluating a 7-year project targeted at improving food security. Focusing on gender, specifically household roles between men and women in the family, was one element of the food security program World Renew was helping to implement. Another man stood up and told us how he wasn't helping his wife work in the farm, weeding and harvesting crops, because he thought this work was for women. The gender training helped him to change, "now I help my wife and she doesn't complain about body pains", he told us. This man also went to his neighbor, who spent a lot of time at the disco (nightclub), and convinced his neighbor that he needs to help his wife.

Our evaluation team listening to stories in a village

 "You see that man sitting back there peeling cassava (root vegetable)? Because of the training, he is now peeling cassava, a job culturally considered to be for the women" they told us.

Man peeling cassava in the background

A duck walks through our meeting

Another key component of the food security program was village saving and loans associations (VSLA). Every VSLA may be run slightly different, yet the core components are the same. Meeting as a group, saving some money each week, and in some cases loaning to each other creates accountability, community, and helps people plan. These groups are a common development model that is used by many development groups. When asked which helped to improve food security the most: VSLA, training about gender, or conservation agriculture, VSLA was voted as having the most impact.

Standing in a line as a way to vote for which element of the food security program was most helpful

A third element of the food security program was the promotion of conservation agriculture (CA). Interestingly, CA had the least impact out of the three elements: VSLA, training of gender roles, and CA. However, there were testimonies of farmers appreciating some aspects of CA, particularly the aspect of reduced tillage because it saves work and time. The traditional way of preparing the land for the rainy season is either plowing using cows or a tractor, or for a farmer to use a large hoe to dig very deep and open the soil. Reduced tillage, in this case, is where a farmer simply uses a machete or hoe to cut the weeds at soil level.

Finally, beehives were given to some of the VSLA groups. The beehives were not a main focus of the overall project. However, the thought was that by giving beehives to each group and then providing training on taking care of bees, that it could become an income generating activity. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a lack of ownership of the beehives, as well as some problems with the hives not colonizing well.

For this food security program, World Renew had partnered with the Nebbi Diocese of the Anglican Church of Uganda. World Renew provided funds and training to local staff, hired by the Nebbi Diocese, who did the leg work of traveling to the villages and carrying out the various training on VSLA, gender, and CA.

Sitting in a circle with World Renew and partner staff

One method that was used to evaluate food security in the village was to create a calendar on the ground. Rectangle boxes were drawn, one for each month of the year. Then items: phones, keys, leaves, containers, etc. were used to mark each month of the year. Finally, stones, cassava, etc. were used to marked during which months of the year food was available in the house. The people often had fun with it, once saying "put that big piece of cassava in December, since that is when we have the most food!"

Women drawing the calendar of the year

Woman placing cassava in the months where food was available 

A chicken intrudes and eats the cowpeas we were using as a marker

For me, the trip was a learning experience about the work that World Renew is involved in, as well as seeing first-hand types of development, how development works or doesn't work, and getting to be a part of the evaluation. World Renew focuses on both relief and development. They strive to work with local partners as much as possible, in this case, the Anglican Diocese of Nebbi. The work I will be a part of beginning next month will be to work with another World Renew partner in Gulu. I look forward to sending an update on that position once I am settled in!

Sights from the village; notice the solar panel on the thatched house to the right- the house on the left is getting new grass

Mango tree loaded with mangos- hey eat mangos like an apple, skin and all, even before they are ripe