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Emergency Trust Fund for Africa
  • News article
  • 27 February 2018
  • 1 min read

Imaani farmers and ‘the man called poverty’

imaani_farmers.jpg

“There is one man here that makes life difficult for us, and that man is called poverty.” Meet William Goma, leader of the Imaani farmers in Adjumani district, Uganda. This farmers group consists of local Ugandans and South-Sudanese refugees.

William continues the metaphor saying that “It is our hope that in two years that man called poverty will be gone.” This ambition started last year, when the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), with funding from the EU Trust Fund for Africa, provided the group with seeds and cultivation tools, including a water pump to irrigate their field from the nearby stream. After participating in DRC-organized agriculture trainings, the Imaani farmers were ready to grow crops. While the women proudly demonstrate their irrigation techniques, group leader William does the math: “Last year we made 200 000 UGX from selling tomatoes. This year we want to increase that number to 700 000 UGX. We can do it if we work together to maintain the garden.”

Additionally, the group grows cabbage and 5 acres of cassava mixed with maize, for subsistence farming. DRC supports these activities in a bid to improve food security and nutrition for the entire community. The Imaani farmers group is part of the Maaji One community, which includes 25 households of local Ugandans and South-Sudanese refugees. Majority of the South-Sudanese refugees are women and children.

Next to food security and nutrition improvement, DRC is involved in peace building activities. The DRC assisted South-Sudanese refugee John Gumbe when a misunderstanding nearly forced him to leave the Maaji One community. “I am a refugee and I would need to leave again. That made me very upset. With the mediation of DRC the conflict was resolved.” In order to sustainably prevent this sort of frictions, DRC selects community members for conflict management trainings. Those who followed the training can educate their peers as Trainers of Trainers, which is exactly what John did. “I am now again part of the community, and continue to serve my community even as a Trainer of Trainers.”

The DRC leads the NGO Consortium of the Support Programme for Refugee Settlements and Host Communities in Northern Uganda (SPRS-NU), focusing on Livelihoods, Conflict Management, Educational and Knowledge components together with Save the Children, ZOA & CEFORD. Funding for the consortium interventions is provided through the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF).

Details

Publication date
27 February 2018
Region and Country
  • Uganda
Thematic
  • Greater economic and employment opportunities
Partner
  • Danish Refugee Council
  • Austrian Development Agency
  • ENABEL - Belgian Development Agency

Programmes in the region