Life in the gardens
The project concretely taught agroforestry techniques and distributed seeds to create community gardens, thus offering new hope and livelihoods to local communities.
Bringing Gardens to Life: Cultivating Hope in Karamoja's Arid Land
The Costa Family Foundation and Insieme si può... (ISP) are proud to present the results of the 2021 "Bringing Gardens to Life" project, an initiative aimed at transforming the landscape and lives of communities in Karamoja, North-Eastern Uganda. In a region marked by drought, poverty, and conflict, the project promoted agriculture as a path to self-sufficiency and food security, offering new opportunities to the traditionally pastoralist Karimojong people.
A Challenging Context Demands New Solutions
Karamoja is a land of challenges: its dry, arid, and inhospitable climate has historically led the Karimojong communities to a nomadic, predominantly pastoralist lifestyle. However, long dry spells, deforestation, and the advance of arid zones have made this practice unsustainable, exacerbating widespread hunger and poverty, further worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing inter-tribal conflicts.
In this critical scenario, the "Bringing Gardens to Life" project addressed a fundamental urgency: helping the Karimojong find new livelihoods. The goal was to establish two demonstration gardens, each approximately 2-3 acres, in the villages of Aworobu and Kambisi, where ISP had already drilled boreholes, ensuring the necessary water availability for effective agricultural activities that would improve the diet and economic condition of the beneficiary communities. The project also included theoretical and practical training for small groups of farmers per village, provided by ISP's specialized staff, along with periodic monitoring and follow-up visits to ensure the proper establishment and management of the demonstration gardens.
Activities Carried Out: A Structured Approach
The project followed a methodical approach to maximize impact:
- Identification of direct beneficiary groups: Engaging local communities.
- Selection of sites for demonstration gardens: Areas strategically chosen near water sources.
- Land preparation: Work performed by beneficiaries, promoting participation and ownership.
- Delivery of agricultural tools and seeds: Provision of hoes, rakes, machetes, wheelbarrows, spades, watering cans, sickles, and seeds for eggplants, carrots, onions, collard greens, cabbage, and beans.
- Theoretical and practical training: Sessions conducted by ISP experts on garden management.
- Monitoring and follow-up: Regular visits for support and problem-solving.
Gardens of Hope: Results and Challenges in the Villages
Aworobu: Enthusiasm and Unexpected Obstacles
In the village of Aworobu, 3 km from Moroto, 20 beneficiaries embraced the project with great enthusiasm. The garden was properly fenced, protecting seedlings from animals, and the proximity of the borehole facilitated irrigation. The community gained access to fresh vegetables, improving their diet, and generated an income of 120,000 shillings (about 30 euros) from selling produce like tomatoes, sukumawiki, beans, collard greens, and kamalak-wang.
However, increasing insecurity in the area, due to frequent raids for cattle theft, distracted beneficiaries from garden care. This inattention, combined with the onset of the dry season, unfortunately led to the destruction of many of the plants in the garden.
Kambisi: Perseverance and New Opportunities
In Kambisi, a very poor village near Moroto, the project initially encountered some disinterest from certain beneficiaries. Only one woman, Ms. Terezina, demonstrated consistent commitment, establishing a private garden on her land. Agricultural tools unused by the first group were retrieved and redistributed.
Subsequently, a new group of Kambisi community members, not part of the initial beneficiaries, requested training and support from ISP regarding agriculture and vegetable cultivation. Having already started a small independent garden, they wished to acquire the necessary skills to care for it properly. ISP therefore decided to commit to training this new group of beneficiaries and provided them with the tools and seeds previously intended for the first group.
Nadiket: Joining Forces for Greater Yields
In Nadiket, about 3 km from Moroto, some of the retrieved equipment from Kambisi was allocated to two villages whose members had requested training and assistance. Of the 14 beneficiaries selected, 11 participated with particular commitment and enthusiasm. They received hoes, wheelbarrows, watering cans, rakes, forks, machetes, and various seeds for eggplants, carrots, onions, collard greens, and beans.
Thanks to the training and support from ISP, the members of the Nadiket communities were able to combine their personal gardens into a single, collective garden. This optimized resources, increased profitability, and improved yields. The first plantings have already yielded good results, and the participation of the entire community in the garden's care and management is a positive sign of success.
Concluding Remarks: A Continuous Commitment
The project's implementation revealed various difficulties, including the limited predisposition of Karimojong communities to agricultural activities and the challenges posed by the semi-arid climate, which demands continuous dedication for irrigation and garden care. Despite these challenges, the project successfully promoted agriculture as a source of self-sufficiency and food security in two villages in Karamoja, leading to the development of two community gardens and one family garden.
The Costa Family Foundation and ISP continue to believe in the necessity of supporting communities in Karamoja, addressing climatic and cultural adversities with resilience and innovation, to build a more prosperous and sustainable future.
