Exploring solutions

Feeding the family is a chore women are undertaking. With the ever growing environment degradation the challenge is enormous.

Cartoon by Sammi Mwamikinga, MS Uganda ©

In 2005, MS Uganda and her partner Yiga Ng’Okola, initiated a new process of analyzing the situation of households in eastern and northern Uganda. It is called the Poverty Analysis and Monitoring Framework and one of the main characteristics is that people themselves classify whether they are poor or not and point towards solutions to get out of poverty. So far the analysis has been undertaken in six districts of Kumi, Mbale, Bukedei, Sironko Pallisa and Jinja. The findings are grisly. 97% of the people in Eastern Uganda say that they are poor, this observation was between July 2005 and May 2006. And one of the definitions is that they can only make one meal a day because they can not even afford to buy fi rewood for more meals. In Kachumbala Sub County, for example, women use maize leaves and stalks for cooking. With this type of fuel, families cannot even eat beans, the cheapest source of protein, and the nutrition status among children is greatly affected. Through the poverty analysis process Yiga Ng’Okola engaged communities to explore solutions to their problems.

Rediscovering indigenous knowledge
This year Yiga Ng’Okola initiated activities that effectively reduce the burden on women and children. The focus is three pronged. Firstly community education not only on gender roles but sustainable use of resources. Secondly, income generation and thirdly, improving the extremely poor housing. Yiga Ng’Okola is promoting community savings and credit groups based on indigenous knowledge. In addition, Yiga Ng’Okola is supporting communities to build eco-friendly houses that utilize stabilized pressed blocks that do not need any burning at all. This is freeing fuel wood for use by families. And the time women and children would use to fetch wood.

Regaining glory
14 women trainers graduated in appropriate eco-friendly housing technology will pass on these skills to other women in northern and eastern Uganda in 2006 and 2007. Plans are under way to integrate the skills of these women in the Return and Recovery Programme for eastern and northern Uganda. And all the members will plant at least 100 fast maturing trees in 2007. Women are taking the lead in regaining their glory.

Simon Okalebo is Director of the Centre for African Capacity Enhancement Institute,
Email: eokalebo@gmail.com