A recently completed joint project in Uganda linking Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group, the Rotary Club of Jinja (Uganda), and the Rotary Club of Southport Links (UK) has been so successful there are calls for its expansion.

Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group (FPS) aims to combat hunger and malnutrition and ensure food security. They empower people through education so that they can make informed choices about highly nutritious local food plants; what to plant, grow, and eat, to achieve a diverse, sustainable, nutritious diet.

The plants identified in each programme; agreed upon between FPS and the partner, are firstly known to grow in the country, are high in nutrients and grow with minimal inputs. This approach benefit communities while safeguarding and strengthening the capacity of individuals, particularly women, to provide food security, health, and nutrition for their families.

The publication packages are based within five booklets. One main booklet “Potentially Important Food Plants of Uganda” describes in detail the plants.  It also provides the nutritional levels that each plant contains along with an explanation as to how the human body uses that nutrient. This is intended for use by appropriate government departments, NGO’s, community leaders, health centres, teachers, etc. that are committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of communities.

Four additional booklets (Picture Guides) are a more basic format with far less text, charts, and academic information; more dependent on annotated images and diagrams. These provide visual information on the plants, sustainable growing practices, as well as information to identify and combat common pest and fungal attacks. The Picture Guide set is divided into the headings of: Leafy Greens and Vegetables, Plants for Healthy Diets, Fruits, and Nuts; and Good Gardening and Root Crops.

The publication package for Uganda was completed in English in 2016, these have since been translated and included on the FPS website into Lhukonzo and Luganda languages, covering limited and specific communities within Uganda. The latter by volunteer teams from The Rotary Club of Jinja.

These translations provide access to rural co-operatives, women’s groups and subsistence farmers who often do not speak in English but do so in their own tribal language and frequently read in that language also.

The link between Jinja and Southport Links Club was formed in 2020 with the then Club President Rtn. Faustine Victor Ngarambe and Rtn. David Taylor. Faustine runs the St. Francis Health Care Services, and one area of support is that of AID’s orphans and their ‘grandmother’ carers. These grandmothers have formed women’s groups covering more than 500 families. Amongst the support provided is guidance on agricultural on land adjoining the Health Care Centre. The intention of this training is to empower the women with skills to grow food, providing a nutritious diet to their charges and families.

The information in the Food Plant Solutions booklets was conveyed to the women’s groups during their training supported with the Picture Guides and online translations. (150 sets of the ‘Picture Guides’ were printed in Kampala thanks to support from the Southport Links Rotary Club). These booklets were printed in English and so were used by the trainers instructing the groups.

Testimonial from Rtn Kiberu John Chrysostom- RC Njeru

“As a social worker and youth mentor who spearheaded the translation of Food Plant Solutions booklets into Luganda, I have witnessed this farm literature contributing highly to information given regarding growing and production of root and leafy foods into communities. Since St. Francis Health Care services supports vulnerable households to improve nutritional diets for the sick and weak, social workers and community-based trainers have managed to train communities with ease using both the Luganda translated and English version. At the same time the trained members use these books for references and reading to help other farmers, hence increased knowledge on the Food Plant Solution program. The empowered communities of grandmothers, women, and adolescents with farming skills, have received vast support mechanism from the trainers through practical skills in growing food plants and vegetables. Productive demonstration and back yard gardens of food and plant crops have been realized through usage of Luganda translated Food Plant Solution booklets. I, therefore, recommend and advocacy expanded utilization of the literature into the entire region of Buganda and Uganda at large.”

Further Rotary Clubs in Uganda may be interested in replicating this approach with translations of the Picture Guides into the main tribal language of their areas. If your Rotary Club is already involved with projects in Uganda this approach could be a most beneficial enhancement.

Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group and Rtn. David (Muzee) Taylor of Southport Links Rotary Club are prepared to provide guidance to the Rotary Clubs across Uganda who wish to empower local communities with this material enabling healthy and nutritious diets across the nation.

This program is not limited to Uganda and can be replicated world-wide. Please contact info@foodplantsolutions.org for more details.