Kabale, Rukiga farmers receive bicycles

NUTRITION

KABALE - A total of 100 lead farmers from Kabale and Rukiga districts have received free bicycles under the Uganda Multi-sectoral Food Security and Nutrition project to promote good nutrition in their areas.

Uganda Multi-sectoral Food Security and Nutrition project is funded by the World Bank in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal industry and Fisheries and local governments.

The project is currently being implemented in 100 Primary schools in 15 districts across the country.

It started in 2016 aiming at fighting malnutrition among children in the country. The project is also intended to ensure food and nutrition security through consuming nutritious agricultural produces by children.

While handing over the bicycles to the beneficiaries at Kigezi private sector promotion, the Kabale district Chairperson Patrick Besigye Keihwa appealed to them to put the bicycles to good use and avoid vandalising them.
 
"Use the bicycles to monitor the nutrition programme. Do not sell them because you risk being arrested," Keihwa said.

He added that the district will be preparing a report at the end of every month to assess the progress of the programme.

He, therefore urged the beneficiaries to use the bicycles to spread the gospel of fighting malnutrition in their schools and respective homes.

Keihwa also asked head teachers of schools involved in the project to make sure that pupils become the chief beneficiaries from the project through eating part of the produce.

"The first priority in this project is for the learners. Do not sell off the produce and you leave our learners starving," said Keihwa.

Julius Twinamatsiko, the national coordinator of the project said that they decided to give bicycles to lead farmers in those selected schools in order to enable them travel to schools and monitor projects as well as mobilising farmers who are involved in to the project.

Twinamatsiko added that the 100 bicycles which were given is a top up of 220 bicycles that were distributed to lead farmers in the first phase.