Kabale District Leaders have expressed the need for the Uganda Multi-sectoral Food Security and Nutrition Project-UMFSNP, to be rolled out in all primary schools in the district, saying that the project’s benefits are self-telling.
The UMFSNP, was rolled out in 100 schools in Kabale District in 2017, before the district was split to create Rukiga district. Currently, the project is being implemented in 61 schools in Kabale and 39 in Rukiga districts. The project was launched to support the government’s efforts to explicitly link agriculture, nutrition, health and education through school-based demonstration gardens, nutrition education, and backyard gardens.
Its main objective of “increasing Production and consumption of micro nutrient rich foods and utilization of community based nutrition services in the smallholder households in the project areas.
Now, while meeting, the State Minister of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries- In charge- crop Production, Fred Bwino Kyakulaga on Thursday in the District boardroom, the leaders, led by the District Vice Chairperson, Miria Akankwasa Tugume, who represented the district Chairperson, Nelson Nshangabasheija, expressed need for the project to be extended to other schools, saying that the other schools have failed to establish backyard gardens, leaving their children at the risk of malnutrition. There are 113 government aided primary schools in Kabale District.
The Kabale District Principal Secretary, James Mugisha, who represented the Chief Administrative officer, Edmond Ntimba, also said that the project has helped to revive school demonstration gardens, which has been cardinal in integrating nutrition, food security education in schools.
The Kabale District Production and Marketing officer, Bedda Mwebesa, said that under the project, 44267 new farmers have accessed micro nutrient rich seeds and planting materials, which has helped to improve vitamin- A supplementation and the reduction of worm prevalence among the school going children.
Minister Kyakulaga, who is in Kigezi region on the project monitoring tour, said that the project’s conception was premised on research carried out in the country, which found out that several parts of the country were grappling with undernutrition.
He also urged the public to embrace proper nutrition, saying that the costs of mitigation under nutrition are higher than the costs of ensuring proper nutrition.
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