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Feed The Future Rwamwanja

"Feed The Future Rwamwanja" reduces child malnutrition through sustainable farming, nutrition education, and eco-friendly methods, empowering refugee families.

Municipality

UG
Kamwenge, Región Oeste,

Category / Sub-Category / Topic

Healthcare, Feeding

Type of investment needed

Grant

Associated SDGs

The challenge

In the Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement within Kamwenge, 48% of children under five are suffering from malnutrition.

The project

“Feed The Future Rwamwanja” aims to reduce malnutrition among children under 5 years in the Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement by promoting sustainable farming practices that focus on cultivating nutrient-rich foods and enhancing nutrition education.

The approach includes mushroom farming, soya bean cultivation, fish farming, and vertical vegetable farming, providing a diverse range of nutrient-rich foods that improve children's health. The mushroom and soybeans will be incorporated in porridge flour for children while the fish and vegetables will be added to the meals.

In addition to farming, the project will train mothers and caregivers on proper nutrition, balanced diets, and effective food preparation methods to maximize nutrient retention. This training will help them understand the nutritional needs of young children and encourage healthy feeding practices.

By engaging the community in these farming practices, the project empowers families to grow their own nutrient-rich foods, ensuring a consistent supply of fresh produce and promoting long-term food security. The initiative aims not only to improve children's health but also to foster a culture of sustainable agriculture within the refugee settlement, leading to healthier and more resilient (and self-reliant) families.

This initiative uses eco-friendly farming methods such as vertical farming and Polybag Mushroom Farming to ensure optimal use of available resources while supporting climate resilience, and trains families in innovative farming methods, building local capacity and empowering refugees to take ownership of their food production, fostering self-reliance and economic resilience.

Our approach has shown promising results in fish farming, polybag mushroom and vertical farming . We piloted the fish production by establishing 2 fish ponds and out of 6,000 fingerlings stocked in the 2 fish ponds, we harvested 5,000 of good quality within 6 months. The fish was sold to local households at an affordable price and was a great addition to their meals. We also established a small-scale mushroom growing. This was piloted using readily available local resources. Community members were eager to acquire knowledge and skills on mushroom growing.

From a focus group held with some community members, 12 out of 13 members expressed a desire to attend future training sessions related to farming activities, share knowledge, and leverage available resources. The participants were thrilled about the potential impact of mushroom, soybean and vertical farming initiatives on nutrition and sustainability.

We got immense support from the Office Of The Prime Minister, the National Agriculture Research Organization, the Local leaders of Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, and the District Fisheries Officers.

Know more...

Kamwenge District spans about 2,439.4 square kilometers and is located roughly 305 kilometers from Kampala, Uganda’s capital. With a population of about 414,454, the district's economy is heavily reliant on agriculture. Crops like maize, beans, coffee and bananas are very common. The district's fertile land and tropical climate with two rainy seasons support farming activities. Livestock farming is also popular.

Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement is located within Kamwenge District and is home to nearly 70,000 refugees, primarily from neighboring countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan. Established in 1964 and reopened in 2012 to accommodate refugees fleeing conflict in the DRC, the settlement covers a large area where refugees are allocated plots of land for farming. The settlement faces economic challenges, with most refugees relying on subsistence farming for survival. While agriculture is a common activity, refugees often struggle with limited access to resources, agricultural inputs, and formal employment opportunities. This situation is exacerbated by competition for land and resources between refugees and the local host communities.

Kamwenge District is among the most severely affected by malnutrition in Uganda, second only to Kabarole. According to a 2017 food and nutrition assessment by WHO, Kamwenge had a chronic malnutrition rate of 42% among children under five. In the Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement within Kamwenge, a 2022 UNICEF study reported that 48% of children under five are suffering from malnutrition. The settlement’s nutritional crisis is driven primarily by limited access to diverse food sources and inadequate dietary options. Refugees in Rwamwanja don't get food aid except for the disabled and elderly. Households instead receive small parcels of land for subsistence farming. Many such households can only obtain carbohydrate-heavy staples for the most part, especially maize, cassava, maize flour, and beans. The result is an unbalanced and unhealthy diet, which leaves children from these households vulnerable to protein-energy malnutrition.

Lastly, it is worth noting that there is limited awareness about the importance of balanced nutrition, dietary diversity, and appropriate feeding practices for young children. Many caregivers may not understand how to supplement staple foods with locally available nutrient-rich options or recognize signs of malnutrition early, leading to poor feeding practices and delayed intervention for affected children.

  • Establishment of 2 Fish Farms in the Wetlands & Training on Fish Farming, Management, & Security:
    • Conducting site assessments of wetlands for fish farm establishment.
    • Collaboration with District fisheries officers, NGOs, government to mobilize financial & labor resources to clear & excavate wetlands, buy fingerlings, feeds, maintain security through fundraising activities.
    • Construct fishponds and install necessary infrastructure eg.fences.
    • Organize a comprehensive training program for community members, covering fish farming techniques, pond management, fish feed, and farm security protocols.
    • Collaboration with district fisheries officers & NGOs in offeringTrainings and capacity building program for 12 local community members (refugees) on fish farming programs in pond management, fish feed, and farm security protocols.
  • Practice of Sustainable Nutrient-Rich Agricultural Practices (Vertical Farming of Vegetables & Polybag Mushroom Farming):
    • Set up a demonstration site for vertical farming and polybag mushroom farming, using locally available resources.
    • Carrying out hands-on training of community members on setting up and maintaining vertical farms and polybag mushroom systems.
    • Provide start-up kits for vertical farming and polybag mushroom cultivation, including seeds, substrates, and materials for vertical farming.
  • Encouraging Climate-Smart Agriculture for Maize & Soybean Integration:
    • Organize a campaign to educate farmers on climate-smart agricultural practices, focusing on maize and soybean production.
    • Distribute soybean seeds to interested farmers.
    • Conduct field demonstrations on efficient water usage, crop rotation, and intercropping, use of manure, pest management to enhance soil fertility and yield.
  • Training mothers & caregivers on proper nutrition, balanced diets, and effective food preparation methods to maximize nutrient retention. This training will help them understand the nutritional needs of young children and encourage healthy feeding practices. A collaboration with nutrition experts will be carried to deliver the training to at least 100 mothers & caregivers.

Direct Results

  • 2 functional fishponds established in the wetlands.
  • 4 Trainings planned & manuals/materials prepared for fish farming and management
  • 12 community members trained in fish farming and farm management.
  • Demonstration vertical farms and polybag mushroom systems established as learning sites.
  • Training sessions conducted, with 200 participants gaining skills in vertical farming and mushroom cultivation.
  • 150 families equipped with starter kits to begin
  • 200 farmers trained on climate-smart maize and soybean farming techniques.
  • Demonstration plots showcasing successful maize and soybean integration using climate-smart methods.
  • Distribution of soya seedlings to 200 households.
  • Training on nutrition to 100 mothers & caregivers

Expected Impact

  • Reduce malnutrition in children under 5 in the Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement by 20 percentage points in a year.

  • National Agriculture Research Organization
  • Local leaders of Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement
  • District fisheries officers in Kamwenge
  • Veres Kabigaba, Director, Kwampolo Investments International Ltd (kabigabaveres100@gmail.com)
  • Khellen Tumuhairwe, Director, Kwampolo Investments International Ltd (khellentumuhairwe001@gmail.com)
  • Rodgers Binomugisha, Secondary school teacher ( Rodgersmolly45@gmail.com)
  • Dismus Nasasira, Data entry clerk (dismusnasaira@gmail.com)
  • Charles Bafaki, Project coordinator (bafakicharles@yahoo.com)
  • Levis Tumwesigye, University student and social leader (Levis2001tumwesigye@gmail.com) 

Investment

(*): In kind/pro bonus

(**): Financing

Goods and inputs
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Insumos para el establecimiento de 2 estanques de peces en humedales disponibles (*) (**)

u$s 17418.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 17418.00

Diseño e impresión de 20 manuales de capacitación en acuicultura (*) (**)

u$s 263.40

u$s 0.00

u$s 263.40

Suministros para capacitación en acuicultura: 16 marcadores, 8 pizarras (*) (**)

u$s 69.40

u$s 0.00

u$s 69.40

Comida para 16 personas para la capacitación en acuicultura (*) (**)

u$s 253.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 253.00

4,000 kg de semillas de soja para 200 agricultores (*) (**)

u$s 5263.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 5263.00

Suministros para la expansión de la sala de demostración existente para el cultivo de setas en bolsas de polietileno: 30 chapas de hierro para techado, 140 maderas, 1 ventana, 1 puerta, 20 postes de construcción (*) (**)

u$s 961.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 961.00

Kits de inicio para setas en bolsas de polietileno: 60 kg de semillas de setas, 60 bolsas de cáscaras de algodón, 500 bolsas de polietileno, semillas de horticultura (50 bolsas de repollo, 50 bolsas de tomate y 50 bolsas de zanahorias) (*) (**)

u$s 4436.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 4436.00

Suministros para capacitación en nutrición: 20 pizarras, 2 paquetes de marcadores (*) (**)

u$s 173.50

u$s 0.00

u$s 173.50

Comida para 203 personas para la capacitación de 200 madres sobre nutrición (*) (**)

u$s 10256.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 10256.00

Equipos de oficina: impresora, 10 resmas de papel para impresión, 1 armario, 10 archivos (*) (**)

u$s 1350.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1350.00

Services
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Alquiler de sala para capacitación en acuicultura (*) (**)

u$s 78.90

u$s 0.00

u$s 78.90

Pago de 2 instructores de pesca del distrito (*) (**)

u$s 315.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 315.00

Human resources
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

2 Asistentes de granja de demostración (1 para setas, 1 para vegetales) - 200 USD cada uno por mes durante 2 años (*) (**)

u$s 4800.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 4800.00

4 Asistentes de estanque (2 limpiadores, 2 encargados del mantenimiento de peces) - 200 USD cada uno por mes durante 2 años (*) (**)

u$s 4800.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 4800.00

3 Trabajadores de seguridad de estanques - 200 USD cada uno por mes durante 2 años (*) (**)

u$s 4800.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 4800.00

Others
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Transporte para 12 participantes (*) (**)

u$s 189.50

u$s 0.00

u$s 189.50

Misceláneos (*) (**)

u$s 1000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1000.00

TOTAL AMOUNTS:

u$s 56426.70

u$s 0.00

u$s 56426.70

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