Hunger Fighters Uganda (HFU) is a Not-for-Profit, Non-Governmental Organization initiated in 2008, pursuing a Vision of “A hunger and Malnutrition free Uganda” with a Mission “to eradicate hunger through promoting and building household resilience in food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture, research, environmental conservation, humanitarian support and behavioral change.” HFU engages in the activities of fighting hunger in Uganda with a local, national and global perspective with programmes.
In partnership with UN-World Food Programme through the Humanitarian support arm, Hunger Fighters Uganda implements the General Food Assistance (GFA) project in Kyangwali settlement since January 2020. Under the objective 4 of the project through agricultural livelihoods and nutrition components, HFU partners with schools in subcounty to implements Hunger and Learning activities so as to:
- Build their capacities in eradicating hunger through best agricultural & livelihood practices.
- Improve on school feeding and nutrition and foster resilience skills to have empowered food secure communities.
- To tame new generations of learners that are equipped with awareness (knowledge) and resilient skills that will contribute in fighting hunger in their respective communities.
Since the year 2022, HFU partnered with a number of schools in refugee and host communities in Kyangwali sub-county and supported in facilitating a number of Hunger and learning activities which include; formation of Food and Nutrition (FAN) clubs and administering trainings in hunger and nutrition, school gardening, small animal rearing and school debates in food and nutrition among others. St Jude Tontema P/S Kyangwali is one of the schools that have benefitted under this programme.
Let’s dive into the story.
In the year 2023, HFU trained St. Jude Tontema Primary school in Food & Nutrition, agriculture & livelihoods and as well supported the school with improved startup seeds (maize grain, and vegetable seeds) and as a result, this contributed to school feeding and also imparted knowledge and skills among learners to fight hunger in their respective communities.
“Although parents contribute in addition to school feeding, the maize we planted we planted had contributed to our children’s lunch in form of porridge. I am very grateful to Hunger fighters Uganda and World Food Programme for supporting our school FAN club with improved seeds which have contributed to our feeding. They introduced school gardening and children participate practically. But as part of sustainability from what we harvested, we have already secured part of it for the next planting season so that we keep gaining more from it.” Says Mrs Nyamijumbi Dalton, the Headteacher St. Jude Tontema Primary school.
A number of school debates with motions related to Food and Nutrition had been facilitated by HFU and as a result had boosted the learners’ ability to express themselves especially the FAN club members.
Further, through cost sharing, the school was supported in establishing rabbit rearing late in the year 2024. In this project, the school provided local materials such as timber for construction of the hutch while HFU provided technical labor and materials such as roofings (iron sheets), nails and wire mesh and well supported the school with startup.
“We were given 6 rabbits and they have multiplied to at least 50 in a short time. Now our children are learning practically, when they go to the project they interact with the rabbits. And they know what feeds they feed on and that project is doing well in our school.” Says Mrs Nyamijumbi Dalton, the Headteacher St. Jude Tontema Primary school.
The activities of FAN club such as school gardening and rabbitry instill practical skills to learners and as well act as learning aids for the school staff to deliver the content.
We use FAN club demonstrations such as school gardens and rabbitry to deliver the content. We are privileged to partner with Hunger Fighters Uganda in activities of FAN where we train our learners to gain practical skills, looking at the Primary science curriculum, the activities of FAN club almost answer all questions. The fact that rabbits are locally managed and also produce monthly, it’s a venture that pupils can easily accumulate money from” says Mr. Good Robert, a science teacher St. Jude Tontema P/S
Because learners have gained knowledge and skills in the FAN club activities, they contribute to the feeding of rabbit and caring of school gardens which has inspired the majority to establish their own projects at home.
“In FAN club, we learnt about how to feed rabbits and how to care for them. We feed rabbits by giving them local feeds like weeds, sweet potato vines and water, if you identify a sign of sickness, contact a veterinary doctor, I participated in the construction of a rabbit hatch and learnt that rabbits in the raised hatch are not attacked by red ants. I also learnt that rabbits produce every month and a young one costs around Sh.15000 in my village. By the time I complete P7 class her to go to secondary school, I will have raised a lot of money.” Says Kasija Ivan, FAN club member, P7 class St Jude Tontema P/S
Written by: Alimweru Allan (ICT Assistant)
