Joan Acola’s Journey: Transforming Food Security in Uganda

Jaspher Ewany with Nabin Pokharel

JOAN Acola from Uganda shares her experience with Feed the Minds’ We-Live project. Facing challenges with subsistence farming, Joan adopted the project’s innovative kitchen garden techniques. Her story illustrates how these methods significantly improved her family’s access to fresh vegetables and increased their income. Through her voice, we hear how this project transforms people’s lives through food security.

Joan Acola, aged 43, is a member of Omakicing Women’s Group in Aoranga village, Awiodyek Parish, Etam Sub-County, Amolatar district. She joined Feed the Minds’ We-Live project nine months ago and was elected as the chairperson. Before the project, Joan’s household relied on subsistence farming, cultivating food crops on small plots of land. Over the years, Joan experienced challenges such as low yields and climate change-induced barriers, which affected her household food security.

For households in the Amolatar district, food insecurity has been a common challenge. As a result, many are struggling to find alternative sources of food. To address these issues, ACSET Uganda began implementing the We-Live project nine months ago, focussing on training households on the kitchen garden approach to increase food production and nutrition security at the household level. The project is primarily implemented by household members.

The ACSET project officers provided training and guidance on the construction of kitchen gardens using demonstration plots to facilitate learning. Individual farmers were supported in building their own kitchen gardens and planting vegetables. The project’s intervention yielded remarkable outcomes in Joan’s household, improving their access to fresh vegetables for consumption. Over the past months, Joan’s household has witnessed tangible improvements in their food supply, income, and overall quality of life. Joan’s family also experienced a positive shift in their dietary habits, incorporating vegetables into their meals frequently.

In Her Own Words: How Kitchen Gardens Revolutionised My Household’s Food Security and Income:

“In our community, we have practised subsistence farming for many years, and I usually cultivated only 1 to 2 acres of land. I used to grow simsim, groundnuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, and maize mainly for consumption and sold a small portion to get money to meet household needs. We are mainly affected by floods, which cover the entire garden during the wet season. Our gardens become free from floods at the start of the dry spells. Collectively, for all crops, I usually harvest no more than 3 bags of food per season, which is not enough for my family. To supplement what we grow, we buy food items from the market. During difficult months, we engage in casual labour to raise income for food and reduce the number of meals to twice a day.

“When ACSET Uganda brought the project to us, my group embraced it but was surprised by the kitchen garden approach, a new farming technique we had never seen before.

“We first constructed a demo plot as a group and learned how to plant vegetables in it. Honestly, it was an experiment because it was difficult to believe that a small plot could provide enough food. I established my own kitchen garden and was guided on how to plant cowpeas. To my surprise, the cowpeas were ready for harvest in only 10 days. Since my involvement in the project, access to vegetables has increased. I have so far planted five times in my garden, planting cowpeas, eggplants, amaranthas, dodo, nakati, Sukuma wiki, and tomatoes. Kitchen gardens produce food in a short period, and I keep rotating the different types of vegetables in my garden.

“My weekly harvest from the kitchen garden has reduced reliance on foods from the market. We now have vegetables readily available, and we consume them five times a week!

“The sale of vegetables that I make weekly has enabled me to easily acquire basic needs like soap, salt, and books for my children. We now consume vegetables regularly because we understand their benefits. Overall, I can confidently say that access to vegetables has greatly improved, and I no longer go to the market or my neighbours to get them. I thank ACSET Uganda for bringing the project to our area, and for providing us with valuable knowledge and skills.”

Joan Acola’s experience highlights the profound impact of the We-Live project in transforming lives in Amolatar District. Through practical training and the adoption of sustainable farming techniques like kitchen gardens, the project has empowered households to overcome food insecurity, improve their nutrition, and enhance their livelihoods. Joan’s story is a testament to the resilience of communities when equipped with the right knowledge and resources, paving the way for a brighter and more secure future for families across Uganda.