Roots of Tomorrow

Roots of Tomorrow: Sustainable Agriculture for Karamoja's Schools

In the Moroto district, in Uganda’s northeastern Karamoja region, the Costa Family Foundation is supporting the Roots of Tomorrow project in 2025, implemented by ISP In Africa. The aim is to improve food security and promote agricultural and environmental education in five primary schools.

Context and Urgency

Karamoja is one of Uganda’s poorest regions: over 70% of the population lives in food poverty, and 1 in 100 children suffers from acute malnutrition. Food scarcity also affects school attendance: many children attend only when their families’ food needs are met.

Climate change has worsened the situation through prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall, making agriculture increasingly unstable. This project responds with a practical and educational approach, focusing on food self-sufficiency, technical skills, and sustainability.

What We’re Doing — In Concrete Terms

The project is built around three main areas of intervention:

1. Agricultural Training in Schools

• 5 primary schools in Moroto District are involved.

• 100 students and 10 teachers (20 students and 2 teachers per school) will be trained in sustainable agricultural techniques.

• 3 training sessions per school, covering:

  • land preparation and use of soil analyzers;

  • crop care, natural pest control, and drought mitigation;

  • post-harvest management, including seed saving and potential income generation.

2. Establishing School Gardens

• Each school will set up both a demonstration garden (using sustainable methods) and a control garden (with traditional methods) for comparative purposes.

• Schools will receive seeds, tools, and soil analyzers.

• Each school is expected to produce at least 250 kg of vegetables to supplement school meals.

3. Monitoring, Knowledge Sharing, and Dissemination

• Data on soil, plant growth, and yields will be collected using tablets and KoboCollect software.

• At the end of the project, a seminar will bring together at least 50 participants, including stakeholders and beneficiaries, to share results and lessons learned.

• A simple illustrated booklet will be created and distributed to over 40 local institutions, ensuring broader impact and replicability.

Beneficiaries

• Direct beneficiaries: approx. 3,625 people (3,500 students and 125 teachers and staff).

• Indirect beneficiaries: at least 10,000 people, through the dissemination of results and materials.

Expected Impacts

• Increased food production capacity in schools.

• Improved nutrition and health for students and teachers.

• Transfer of practical, sustainable farming skills to young people.

• A replicable model for school-based agriculture in rural Uganda.

• Greater community involvement in resource management and food resilience.

A Replicable and Sustainable Model

The project is designed to ensure sustainability on multiple levels:

• Environmental: use of organic, locally made pesticides and regenerative soil practices.

• Economic: schools will be able to sell part of their harvest to generate additional income.

• Social: students and communities gain skills and ownership over the process and outcomes.

• Institutional: local education and agriculture officials are actively involved in implementation and oversight.

This project is a tangible example of how the Costa Family Foundation invests in long-term solutions, even in challenging contexts like Karamoja. By combining training, tools, and local partnerships, Roots of Tomorrow helps young people and their schools build a foundation of resilience—one seed, one harvest, one lesson at a time.

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