| Clean water |
Schools | Building enterprise | Food Security |
Christian Ministry | Supporting Ngora Hospital | Relief & Resettlement |
The problem
| |
Improving food production - tomato growing in Moreakakise |
|
TDT has assisted many individuals with provision of goats and cattle for restocking |
Teso is an area that is very fertile and receives adequate but uncertain rainfall. It has suffered seriously from the LRA and Karimojong incursions that have caused enormous damage to the economy in the past and a major loss of tree cover and livestock. The improving security situation means that that, in line with the Ugandan economy as a whole, the local economy is recovering.
Reforestation is needed to stem soil erosion, improve local rainfall, provide fruit trees for cash crops and a source of local wood for fuel.
Restocking of livestock is vital to the long term wealth of the Teso people. A good herd of cattle or a large flock of chickens or goats provides a flexible source of wealth to pay school fees or a long term insurance polic.
The main crops being grown are cassave, sorghum, maize, ground nuts and millet. These provide for people's essential food supply but they are vulnerable to crop failures through drought, flood or disease.
The provision
A targeted food security programme is in progress being implemented by the Church of Uganda in six of the poorest areas. This entails training, use of drought resistant seeds, water harvesting, restocking with suitable animals and planting fruit trees and reforestation. It is being funded in the main by TEAR fund but TDT is supporting individual projects.
The Church of Uganda has a team of agricultural advisors and has promoted training in new agricultural techniques and use of better strains of animals and seed.
The challenges
The development partners need to encourage higher yielding and better quality food production, tree planting, fruit growing by supporting:
-
training
-
animal restocking
-
improved farming methods and seed
-
introduction of new kinds of crops