From hungry cries to three meals

"At the moment we eat three meals a day and even have some surplus to sell. Our health has improved, and my children do not get sick as often." - Kule Alosious

Kule Alosious was greatly affected by the hunger in his family. The screams of his six hungry children gave him sleepless nights. Although most men in the village of Kaserengethe in western Uganda leave responsibility for the family's meals to the women, the sleepless nights prompted Kule Alosious to take action. Previously, Kule Alosious' household only grew bananas and cassava. The household could only afford one meal of boiled cassava or bananas a day. As a result, the children suffered from malnutrition and often fell ill.

Sharing knowledge among families

In 2016, the family joined the Kaserengethe Organic Farmer Family Learning Group. The group practices diverse family farming with leafy vegetables, animal and poultry breeding using organic methods. For example, the group supports the families in digging ditches on the sloping fields that can hold water and nutrients. They also teach each other how to make a good ground cover from withered plant parts so that the soil does not dry out.

Kule Alosious explains that the collaboration made it easier to introduce the eco-methods and that they have improved the soil's fertility. Result: Increased harvest, production of a range of crops and good health for the animals.

Our health has improved

By integrating crops such as vegetables, grains, peanuts, soybeans, beans, corn and yams (root vegetables, ed.) as well as poultry farming into the family farm, according to Kule Alosious, the family's children got a richer diet with vitamins from vegetables, proteins from eggs, more carbohydrates andnatural fats.

“At the moment we eat three meals a day and even have some surplus to sell.Our health has improved, and my children do not get sick as often,” says Kule Alosious.

Interview and text: Bihundira Gilbert, KOFLEC
Photos: Kule Jockus, Jocks Media