Let’s stand up against hunger
Jun 02, 2009
I refer to the news about the looming hunger in eastern and northern Uganda and the increasing prices of food stuffs. Speaking at the celebrations to mark the World Food Day in Tororo last year, agriculture minister Hilary Onek said nine million Ugandans
Allen Kyomugisha
I refer to the news about the looming hunger in eastern and northern Uganda and the increasing prices of food stuffs. Speaking at the celebrations to mark the World Food Day in Tororo last year, agriculture minister Hilary Onek said nine million Ugandans (31%) were not certain of their daily bread.
This shocking news passed without any debate, as if all is well. Today, the situation is still the same as reported in The New Vision of May 26. This testifies that the social responsibility fabric, which holds us together, is slowly diminishing.
The media, as a watchdog, has been voicing the pain of society due to lack of basic needs such as food. However, the media alone cannot win the battle if other stakeholders do not respond.
If, as The New Vision reported, 30% of the population is not assured of its daily bread, even the remaining 70% should catch a cold because, as the common saying goes: “A hungry man is an angry manâ€. As one sleeps hungry, the satisfied will not have the last laugh or sleep. Unfortunately, it is mainly the women and children who suffer amidst this.
It is a shame that in the 21st Century, Uganda, which has the potential to be Africa’s food basket, has starving citizens. It is even more shameful to see decreasing investment in the agricultural sector, yet the country’s population is projected to rise to 76 million by 2035.
Time is up for our leaders to prioritise investment in areas where we have a competitive advantage, which in this case, is the agricultural sector. This will eventually boost agro-tourism, agro-mechanisation, agro-business, value addition, agro-industry, intensive and extensive agro-production.
The Government should also set up short-term measures to provide the starving communities with food to protect lives. For example, in addition to measures set up by the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, civil society organisations should raise a gwanga mujje call (patriotism call), for the general public and corporate companies to pool resources to purchase food for the starving people.
In addition, long-term measures of ensuring food security, such as food storing systems, should be set up at the household level.
Let’s embrace the call to stand up against poverty and hunger.
The writer is the manager of the Future Learning Centre
I refer to the news about the looming hunger in eastern and northern Uganda and the increasing prices of food stuffs. Speaking at the celebrations to mark the World Food Day in Tororo last year, agriculture minister Hilary Onek said nine million Ugandans (31%) were not certain of their daily bread.
This shocking news passed without any debate, as if all is well. Today, the situation is still the same as reported in The New Vision of May 26. This testifies that the social responsibility fabric, which holds us together, is slowly diminishing.
The media, as a watchdog, has been voicing the pain of society due to lack of basic needs such as food. However, the media alone cannot win the battle if other stakeholders do not respond.
If, as The New Vision reported, 30% of the population is not assured of its daily bread, even the remaining 70% should catch a cold because, as the common saying goes: “A hungry man is an angry manâ€. As one sleeps hungry, the satisfied will not have the last laugh or sleep. Unfortunately, it is mainly the women and children who suffer amidst this.
It is a shame that in the 21st Century, Uganda, which has the potential to be Africa’s food basket, has starving citizens. It is even more shameful to see decreasing investment in the agricultural sector, yet the country’s population is projected to rise to 76 million by 2035.
Time is up for our leaders to prioritise investment in areas where we have a competitive advantage, which in this case, is the agricultural sector. This will eventually boost agro-tourism, agro-mechanisation, agro-business, value addition, agro-industry, intensive and extensive agro-production.
The Government should also set up short-term measures to provide the starving communities with food to protect lives. For example, in addition to measures set up by the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, civil society organisations should raise a gwanga mujje call (patriotism call), for the general public and corporate companies to pool resources to purchase food for the starving people.
In addition, long-term measures of ensuring food security, such as food storing systems, should be set up at the household level.
Let’s embrace the call to stand up against poverty and hunger.
The writer is the manager of the Future Learning Centre