Letter from Northern Uganda: Helping War Victims Produce and Sell Food

Steve Archambault

Life here in Uganda can be challenging, rewarding, and thought provoking all at the same time. Currently, I am a program assistant for an agriculture and marketing support project at the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Uganda. My main tasks are further developing and implementing a project that assists small-scale farmer groups in marketing their maize and beans directly to WFP. I also work with local governments and communities in areas recovering from war as they implement small-scale agriculture development projects.

WFP Uganda feeds over 2,300,000 refugees, schoolchildren, HIV/AIDS patients, and primarily the internally displaced persons (IDPs). Most of Uganda is stable, but the northern part of the country is suffering a rebel war that has gone on for more than 17 years, with civilians being the primary target. This has caused the creation of internally displace person (IDP) camps, which are home to 1,619,744 people. Due to insecurity, these people have very little access to their fertile farmland, and therefore rely on food aid, including maize, beans, and cooking oil.

Photo: Steve Archambault

Schoolchildren in an IDP camp, Gulu, Northern Uganda.

Feeding so many people requires large quantities of food. In 2004, the estimated food requirements for WFP projects is 238,951 metric tons, worth nearly $120 million U.S. dollars (USD). About half of this food is bought locally, a boost to the Ugandan economy. Typically, WFP procures food from large-scale traders who take advantage of the inadequate knowledge and organization of small farmers. Farmers are willing to sell their produce at very low prices in order to receive cash to pay for medical bills and school fees. WFP's target is to buy at least 10 percent of all procured foods directly from farmer groups. It is a target that is not easily reached. My job consists of assisting WFP in adjusting its procurement procedures so they are more friendly to the small supplier, and at the same time sensitizing farmer groups, extension agents, and government officials to WFP's procurement requirements. I spend 50 percent of my time in small rural areas throughout Uganda. I also assist in the coordination of NGO partners mandated to build farmer group capacity through training in such things as business management, post harvest handling techniques, and group organization.

Photo: Steve Archambault

WFP-supported farmers in Kapchorwa, Eastern Uganda, stand in front of a drying crib, where maize on the cob is left until properly dried, then shelled and cleaned.

The second component of my work targets those areas of Uganda, particularly in the West Nile districts (near the Sudanese and Congo borders) that have recently emerged from wartime situations. Because these communities spend so much of their time trying to meet their food needs, there is very little timetobuildcommunity infrastructure, which would lead to further food security.Therefore,thisprojectusesfoodaidasan incentive for communities to undertake sustainable development projects, suchas constructionofmarkettovillageroads,fishfarming, forestation, small-scaleirrigation,construction of stores, and agriculture training.

The West Nile region is comprised of five districts in Northwest Uganda, where about 2 million people live. There are several small towns in each of the districts where government headquarters are located. These towns usually have a series of small shops, food markets, small restaurants or cafes where one can get a Ugandan meal of rice, posho (corn meal), pounded plantains, or cassava topped with a stew of goat’s meat, chicken, fish, or beef. There are times when food is more scarce than others, and the selection at a cafe might be limited to a combination of one of the above. There are usually a few flavors of soda, beer, and bottled water available, as it is trucked in from southern Uganda. A meal and a drink never costs more than 4,000 Ugandan Schillings (around $2), and is likely to be much less. It’s not guaranteed that drinks will be chilled, though. There are also very simplistic hotels (where a nice self-contained room might cost 10,000 schillings, or $5). Most of these towns only have electricity several hours each day, at best. One larger town, Arua, is very urban, having more reliable electricity, bigger shops, a few decent restaurants and hotels, and even internet access. A relatively small number of people live in these towns. Most of the residents live in small villages.

Myworkistoassistlocalcommunitiesandgovernment officials in developingwork plans for the projects they have proposed. There is a push to have these projects community owned, so WFP does very little in terms of telling communities what types of projects they can implement.

Inadditionto the projects mentioned, I have had the chance to visit the IDPandrefugeecampsthroughout Uganda. Ihave been in the military-protectedconvoysthat deliver foodto thecamps in remote areas.

The food distribution convoys can be quite intense. Because of the threat of armed rebel factions in Northern Uganda, all food convoys must be accompanied by a contingent from the Ugandan People's Defense Force (UPDF)--the Ugandan military. Depending on the size of the convoy, there are one or two large and intimidating looking artillery vehicles appropriately called Mambas or Buffalos. There is an additional flatbed truck filled with armed Ugandan foot soldiers. Whenever the convoy comes to a halt, these soldiers line the road in case rebels emerge from the tall grasses in an attempt to ambush the vehicles. The military does have some training, but they are clearly under-equipped for the task at hand. The soldiers wear apparently cheap and uncomfortable gum boots, live in substandard barracks, receive minimal money, and receive only the bare minimum in terms of food. This may be a partial reason why the rebels in northern Uganda have not been stopped.

In a food distribution convoy, depending on the size of the camp receiving food, there are usually three or four large trucks each carrying about 50 metric tons of food. There are also several land cruiser-type vehicles carrying the staff who monitor the distribution. Many of the monitors are local people, who ensure those families registered to receive food get the proper amounts of beans, maize, and cooking oil (which is what WFP provides). The camp residents meet the trucks upon arrival, and volunteers are selected to unload all of the food. Then, a representative from each registered family comes to take their share. The entire process takes several hours. If the camp is very far from the main town in the area, the convoy will often stay in the camp overnight if there is not enough day light to go back to the main town. Although I have not spent a night in one of the camps, it is known to be a nerve-wracking experience. Following a food distribution, it is not uncommon for rebels to come into camps at night and steal food. Some residents say they leave a bit of food outside of their hut, in case the rebels come by and demand food. If it is not easy for rebels to pick up food and go, it could be risky. Another risk for the camp residents is abduction. The rebels are on foot, and often kidnap so they have porters to carry their supplies. Some abductees are later forced to be rebels.

Becauseoftheinsecurity, there is very little NGO access to the camps, meaning they have very poor sanitation,and minimal access to medical supplies. Although WFP brings food (maize, beans, and oil), understandably there isstillaproblemwith poor nutrition. It has been a very sobering year,butithasgivenmetheincentive to continue working toward sustainable development.

I am stationed in Uganda by way of a Mickey Leland Fellowship, a leadership programthroughtheCongressionalHungerCenter inWashington, D.C. (website: The two-year program places fellows in various international organizations dealing with hunger-related issues. The first year of thefellowshipis a field year. The second year deals more with policyissuesin the organization's headquarters. I will start my second year in August, and will be in WFP's main office in Rome.

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