Humanitarian aid agency, GOAL Uganda, has announced the training of 30 family members in agriculture, nutrition and good hygiene skills.
The training, Development Diaries understands, was conducted in Lapeta village, Agago District of the East African country.
GOAL Uganda, in a recent update on its activities, said the training was carried out as part of its Nutrition Impact Positive Practice (NIPP) initiative, which is under the One Nutrition in a Complex Environment (ONCE) study.
It was gathered that GOAL Uganda received funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future initiative.
According to information on its website, the humanitarian organisation trained local farmers in effective agricultural techniques, using upcycled local materials, as well as the best crop species selection for the area.
‘Before the training, we [did not] know how to grow and care for the best vegetables on our land. Now we have this knowledge and can work towards fighting malnutrition and hunger’, the organisation quoted Rose, a mother of six, as saying.
‘We often [did not] have enough money to buy fresh vegetables from the market. Whatever we could grow at home was not enough. The children would look unhealthy and sometimes get sick’.
Families, it was also gathered, were supported to construct and maintain essential items for good hygiene and nutrition.
‘Life was so difficult before we were introduced to this nutrition project by GOAL. Now, we are getting better yields from our vegetable garden and plan to sell some surplus to cater for other needs such as medical bills’, Rose added.
‘We were taught about the need to make nutritious meals and maintain hygiene at home. We were also taught how to use fuel-efficient stoves that are also environmentally friendly’.
Data from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) shows that agribusiness accounts for approximately 23 percent of GDP and employs about 60 percent of the labour force in Uganda.
Source: GOAL Uganda
Photo source: GOAL Uganda
