CASCADE

With funding from the Dutch Government, Farm Africa is working in partnership with CARE’s CASCADE programme to put women in eastern Uganda in the driving seat of improving the diets of their young children and themselves, even in the face of climate shocks.

In Uganda’s Karamoja sub-region, poverty and chronic malnutrition is widespread, particularly among women and children. Most families eat a limited diet of cereal grains and wild leaves, and there is low awareness about the importance of a balanced diet. These rural communities rely heavily on natural resources, which leaves them vulnerable to frequent climate extremes.

The project supports rural women in four districts (Moroto, Napak, Abim and Kotido) to grow a range of nutritious foods, learn about healthy eating and overcome cultural barriers holding them back.

Using an approach called Farmer Field and Business Schools, farmers are organised into groups to learn about the production, consumption and marketing of foods that are both climate-resilient and nutritious, like iron-rich beans and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. Community-based facilitators visit the farmers in their own fields to recap the lessons learnt at learning sites and encourage adoption of the practices.

The project also connects the farmers’ groups with Quality Declared Seed producers. Eight of the farmers’ groups are now producing and selling their own Quality Declared Seeds, ensuring other groups benefit from easier access to high-quality, reliable and affordable seeds.

In addition, CASCADE is strengthening women’s participation in decision-making and leadership, both at home and in their communities, and supporting women to gain greater access to and control of resources.