BUTAMBALA – Mr Timothy Prewitt the Global Chief Executive Officer and President of The Hunger Project (THP) has hailed Uganda’s efforts of building resilient communities to have self-reliant personnel that fight poverty and ensure food security.
Prewitt who is in Uganda for a three-day visit made the remarks while visiting hunger project’s Senge Epicenter in Butambala District, which is one of Hunger Project’s flagship model centers.
“I have seen people who are happy with what they are doing. I have seen homes built by resilient 20 years of the Hunger Project. I wasn’t here but I know it was very different 20 years ago, I now see families living in good conditions with access to food and income-generating activities,” he said.
Mr Prewitt shared that as part of the hunger project journey, individuals create the vision and put it into action and he was amazed at how people look back and see progress from where they came from.
Touring the several farming home women-led projects in Butambala, the epicenter facilities at Nsenge, Prewitt was amazed at how people’s lives have changed over the 20 years of impact by the hunger project.
“Today I saw gardens and farms of different things, a health facility that gives proper health care. I am proud to leave here taking with me vast knowledge of what I have learnt here.”
The C.E.O however noted the challenges to food security and asked the district leadership to work closely with his organization and have these addressed because they are in to help for the longer term.
“We have new challenges presented by climate change preventing people to grow helpful food. Our youths are coming up in greater numbers to look for greater opportunities to make their mark in the world. I am sure this community will continue to thrive once these are addressed.”
Sulaiman Lubwama, the RDC Butambala thanked the hunger project team for supporting the district over theirs with their resilient programs.
He shared that the team has helped the district in the most critical fields of education and health care.
“On the medicine that the government gives us, they extend a helping hand and give our health facility more supplies. They also started a model nursery school here in the community and it is aimed at educating our people. They have built the capacity of our homesteads here in Kalamba teaching them how to grow a number of food crops to curb hunger,” he said.
Dr Daisy Owomugasho, the hunger project East Africa Regional director hailed the Epicenter leadership and thanked them for making the community what it is. She highlighted the role of animators in the epicenter and thanked them for supporting the project since its inception.
She noted the strong collaboration and support from the district leadership over the years that has helped them build the community to the level it is.
“Mindset change and capable leadership at the center has driven it to success over the years. We are happy with the district’s support and continue to pledge our support to work with them closely to make much more impact in the area through this epicenter.”
The event also attracted both the technical and political leaders at the district that were led by the District Chairperson, Chief Administrative Officer.
The Hunger Project (THP), founded in 1977 with the stated goal of ending world hunger in 25 years, is an organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger.
It has ongoing programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where it implements programs aimed at mobilizing rural grassroots communities to achieve sustainable progress in health, education, nutrition, and family income.
THP has been working in Uganda since 1999 and is currently empowering community partners in 11 epicenter areas to end their own hunger and poverty.
Through its integrated approach to rural development, the Epicenter Strategy, The Hunger Project is working with community partners to successfully access the basic services needed to lead lives of self-reliance and achieve internationally agreed-upon markers of success, such as the Millennium Development Goals.
