Kamuli, Uganda: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Ambassador to Uganda, Ezana Kassa, has called on parents and schools to embrace agriculture as a sustainable solution to school feeding, saying school gardens can improve nutrition, boost learning and strengthen household incomes.
Kassa made the remarks on Friday, July 31, during a visit to Buteme Light SDA Primary School in Busana Village, Nabwigulu Sub-county, Kamuli District, where he inspected the school’s model soya bean garden and participated in a symbolic planting exercise.
“Agriculture is the backbone of Uganda. Everybody must embrace it, especially in schools. This is the way forward for feeding our children while they are at school,” Kassa said.
He also encouraged communities to invest in value addition, noting that processing agricultural produce would increase productivity, create employment opportunities and improve household incomes.
The visit was organised under the Village Model Agriculture Initiative, an intervention being implemented by the Busoga Consortium for Development (BCD) to promote sustainable rural transformation.
Speaking at the event, Busoga Consortium Executive Director Dr. Anthony Mula said the initiative seeks to transform villages by placing schools at the centre of agricultural production and community development.
He explained that the programme, launched by the Vice President, complements the Government’s Parish Development Model (PDM) by encouraging communities to use agriculture to improve livelihoods while addressing child nutrition.
“We want to see that every child in Busoga gets food while at school. Busana Village is one of the 12 village models in the entire Busoga that we are pioneering across the sub-region. They are meant to tell a story of rural transformation,” Mula said.
He added that every model village should have a school serving as the focal point for community-led food production. “A model village must have a school because we want to see that every child in school is fed. When children are fed, they learn better and the community develops.”
Representing Busoga Kingdom, the Minister for Education, Owek. Nantale Nasab, appealed to parents to take responsibility for feeding their children while assuring schools of the Kingdom’s support.
“Busoga Kingdom is committed to supporting all the programmes and activities of the Busoga Consortium for Development. I appeal to all schools in Busoga to embrace school gardens to support feeding programmes,” she said.
Kamuli District LCV Chairperson Kaloli Dhizaala said the district had already launched a campaign to revive school gardens across government and private schools.
“As a district, we have started a campaign of revamping school gardens to make sure that at least every child gets something to eat while at school,” Dhizaala said.
Meanwhile, Busoga Parliamentary Caucus Chairperson and Luuka South MP Steven Kissa Bakubalwayo said legislators intend to use Buteme Light SDA Primary School as a demonstration model for a nationwide school feeding programme.
“On behalf of the legislators of the area, we will use Buteme Light SDA Primary School as a model of feeding children to request Government to use it as a pilot project to roll out the school feeding programme in all schools in Uganda,” Kissa said.
He also appealed to FAO to support the region through small-scale irrigation technologies, climate adaptation initiatives, expansion of local processing facilities for commodities such as soya and poultry feeds, establishment of hatcheries, and provision of a field vehicle to facilitate agricultural extension services.
Leaders at the event said expanding school gardens would improve learner nutrition, reduce school dropout rates, enhance academic performance and create reliable markets for local farmers supplying food to schools.
District authorities revealed plans to prioritise cultivation of soya beans, maize, beans and vegetables in school gardens, with parents and learners actively participating in planting and maintenance.
They added that linking schools with local agro-processors would stimulate value addition while creating employment opportunities for young people.
Other officials present included Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Badru Ssentongo, the District Agricultural Officer and district technical staff. Plan Uganda and other partners supported the event by providing agricultural inputs and sensitisation materials.
Kassa pledged continued technical support and collaboration with development partners to help replicate the model school gardens across Busoga and other parts of Uganda.
The Village Model Agriculture Initiative, spearheaded by the Busoga Consortium for Development, seeks to transform rural communities by promoting commercial agriculture, school feeding, nutrition, value addition and community-led development. The programme aligns with Uganda’s Parish Development Model (PDM) and Busoga’s broader strategy to become Uganda’s leading rural economy by 2030.
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