EVENTS

30 SEPTEMBER 2021 / RIGHT2GROW NATIONAL LAUNCH
The R2G project in Uganda was launched on the 30th September 2021 at Fairway Hotel in Kampala. The objective of the R2G launch was to unveil Right2Grow Uganda programme to the national-level stakeholders and partners. Specifically, the launch was to achieve the following:
1) To reflect on the current situation of malnutrition in Uganda and explore existing coordination and collaboration avenues that will provide a springboard for R2G programme implementation.
2) Provide in-depth understanding of the project, implementing partners and their roles and geographical coverage of the programme.
3) Provide a platform for partners to network and build relationships for effective project implementation.
4) Draw commitment and buy-in from various stakeholders to support R2G Uganda programme The Minister in charge of general duties Hon. Justine Lumumba officiated the event under the theme: Fostering a multisectoral involvement and investment in harnessing the growth of every child to reach their potential in the face of COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Other important delegates present were the deputy head of missions at the Dutch Embassy, Commissioner at the office of the prime minister, also in charge of coordinating food security and nutrition and Members of parliament representing constituencies of the selected R2G districts in Uganda. Members of the R2G consortium represented were Centre of Economic Governance and Accountability in Africa (CEGAA), The Hunger Project (THP), World Vision, Action against Hunger (ACF), Food Rights Alliance, Nutrition Society of Uganda and Community Integrated Development Initiative (CIDI).
World Food Day (16 Oct 2021) and Global Hand Washing Day (15 Oct 2021) - Uganda
As Winston Churchill said, "Healthy
citizens are the greatest asset any country can have" a healthy
population is one of the key results that Right2Grow intends to achieve. We
believe that the food we choose to eat and the way we consume it affects our health and
that of our planet. To honor our food champions as well as raise awareness and call
for increased action on financing and implementation of food security,
nutrition and WASH initiatives, Right2Grow Uganda joined the rest of the
world to celebrate the World Food Day commemorated every 16th
October to tackle the global hunger crisis and promote the message that food is
a fundamental and basic human right.
This day falls a day after the Global Hand Washing Day that also happens on the same day with the International Rural Women’s Day on 15th/0ctober. R2G commemorated the GHWD through a press conference led by Community Integrated Development Initiative joined by other R2G partners from CEGAA and World Vision as well as 10 TV, online, print and radio media houses like Capital FM, NBS TV, Spark TV, Nile Post, Chimp Reports, New Vision, Bukedde, etc.
Right2Grow Uganda, also partnered with Uganda
Broadcasting Cooperation (UBC) and CBS to run a TV/Radio awareness campaign on
Nutrition, Food Security and WASH to educate communities,
CSOs, governments and decision makers about malnutrition in all its forms but
most importantly calling upon all stakeholders to create better policies,
budgets and build a favorable environment for the healthy growth of all children.
The campaign was for 6 days including 14th, 15th, 16th,
18th, 22nd and 23rd October, 2021. It was supported by
Right2Grow partners however fifteen people directly took part as panelists including
10 females and 5 males from R2G partner organizations (The Hunger Project,
Action Against Hunger, Nutrition Society of Uganda, World Vision, Food Rights
Alliance, Community Integrated Development Initiative and Movement for
Community Led Development), Members of Parliament from the Uganda Parliamentary
Alliance on Food and Nutrition, Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industries and
Fisheries and community members from the R2G areas of operation.
This year’s World Food Day finds the
world at a critical moment of COVID-19 pandemic that led to an increase in hunger
in the last year to 811 million, the reason why the campaign started
with a 16-minute TV program on UBC TV with two of our members sharing R2G
Partners’ best practices on managing CIVID-19. Each show had two to three panelists
that discussed nutrition, food security and WASH in different sectors like education,
business, health, agriculture in homes, communities, nationally and in Africa
as a continent referring each topic of discussion to the World Food Day theme,
“Our
actions are our future- Better production, better nutrition, a better
environment and a better life" and the R2G Campaign theme, “Why
Centering Women in the Implementation of Food Security, Nutrition and WASH
Initiatives is Vital for Uganda’s Development Amidst COVID-19 and Beyond”
Participants from both the
Press Conference and TV/Radio campaign called upon all stakeholders to join
efforts and act against malnutrition, poor WASH services and made various asks
as noted below;
- - Improving children’s nutrition requires effective and sustained multi-sectoral nutrition programming
- - Regular data
collection is critical to monitor and analyze country, regional and global
progress going forward
- - The Development
partners and Private sector should increase resource mobilization and
investment in the Food security, nutrition and WASH sector
- - Governments need to both repurpose old policies and adopt new ones that foster the sustainable production of affordable nutritious foods and promote farmer participation.
- - Policies should
promote equality and learning, drive innovation, boost rural incomes, offer safety
nets to smallholders and build climate resilience.
- - They also need to
consider the multiple linkages between areas affecting food systems
including education, health, energy, social protection, finance and
more, and make solutions fit together.
- - Need for major
increase in responsible investment and strong support to reduce negative
environmental and social impacts across sectors, particularly the private sector, civil society, researchers and academia.
- - The government of
Uganda, specifically Ministry of Water and Environment should enhance
behavior change as a key to increasing hand washing with soap and ending
open defecation.
- - Increased awareness
creation and sensitization of the public.
- - The government with
support from NWSC should increase accessibility to cheap and affordable
water to people especially in the Urban slum areas. This will improve on
the hygiene habits.
- - Children are key
change agents; government should provide adequate hand washing facilities
at the schools prior to school opening.
- - The media
fraternity should amplify Nutrition, food security and Water sanitation
and Hygiene campaigns during the COVID19 pandemic and beyond.
Good nutrition, food security and WASH allow
children to survive, grow, develop, learn, play, participate and contribute to
Development of the nation. Our participation in commemorating the World Food
Day, Global Hand Washing Day and Rural Women’s Day gave us a stronger and wider
voice to reach out to communities, policy makers, media and other actors in the
food systems.





