smallholder farmers are hungry and their children are undernourished.
“It’s a desperate situation”
What began as an wide-ranging impact study quickly turned a corner. As our trained data collectors interviewed farmers in the Nkoko region of Uganda a dire situation was revealed—farmers in this area could not wait for us to complete the other segments of the study. They needed help now.
Quickly analyzing data collected using the Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool (MPAT) we were able to find the farmers who we were best positioned to help. We supplied maize, beans and rice for planting along with a workshop on farming techniques.
After a successful first season the farmers were able to save seeds for themselves as well as donating a small percentage to a storehouse.
However the second growing season was not as successful. A terrible drought followed by extreme flooding ruined the planting and no crops were harvested. Climate change resilience is crucial for smallholder farmers, and we’re in the process of updating the program with new techniques and information to help the farmers of the Nkoko area become more climate resilient.
