The consequences of decades of civil war, including between the Ugandan government and the  Lord‘s Resistance Army, continue to mark the society as well as the social and economic infrastructure in northern Uganda. A majority of the population spent the war years in camps for internally displaced people. As well as suffering violence and great deprivation, this experience led to the disintegration of social and family structures and the loss of knowledge and cultural values. 

Regions such as Acholi and West Nile have the highest poverty rates in the country. Malnutrition  – above all among children – is widespread, many people can only afford two (unbalanced) meals a day at most. Subsistence farming is the livelihood of most people, but  the productivity of the soil is insufficient. The reasons for this poor productivity are lack of knowledge, the impact of climate change, and overexploitation due to the rapidly growing population. Restrictions on access to local markets minimise the possibility of generating an income from any modest surpluses. Alternative employment opportunities are rare, and the capacity of the local government to provide social and economic support to the population is limited. The Ugandan government and the international donor community are trying to improve conditions in the former war zones by means of various reconstruction programmes.  One of these is the Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU), which is also the framework for the present project.  

The situation is particularly difficult for children, young people and women. Many are poorly educated, suffer from the experiences and the struggle for survival during and after the war, from the lack of prospects and the many restrictions based on cultural norms, values and practices. The undernourishment or poor nutrition of children, due to general poverty and ignorance, has long-term effects on their physical and mental development, as well as on the potential of subsequent generations. Against the background of a past marked by violence and an uncertain political future, these conditions are fertile ground for future conflicts.

Caritas Switzerland has established a consortium with the local partner organisations Advance Afrika, Agency for Accelerated Regional Development (AFARD) and Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-G) in order to effectively pool their extensive local and international expertise and put it at the service of improved agricultural production, marketing and nutrition for the benefit of the poorest population groups in Acholi and West Nile.