Hunger and Food Security: Our View...

Mutebi Eddie
 Union of Community Development Volunteers
P.O. BOX 35792,
KAMPALA – UGANDA
+256 414 690 897/ +256 782 713 500
ucdvolunteers@yahoo.com

Hunger and malnutrition are said to be the number one health threat worldwide. Fatality-wise World Food Program (WFP) rates it higher than HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis –combined. There are numerous causes of hunger that can be told. WFP suggests the following key causes: conflict, poverty, poor agricultural infrastructure and overexploitation of the environment. 

Besides, there is silent hunger characterized by micronutrient deficiencies –which make people susceptible to infectious diseases, impair physical and mental development, reduce labor productivity, and increase the risk of premature deaths. Estimates from WFP show 925 million people under-malnourished. In Uganda WFP has done well to better the hunger situation in north eastern region (Karamoja) by extending assistance to families in form of nutritional supplements and education. 

Reports show 1 of every 6 children born with low birth rate due to under-malnutrition among pregnant women in developing countries. The trends threaten survival of the human race. The government of Uganda set up parallel programs for poverty alleviation, environment protection, and pacification of violent-prone regions. Among them are the Poverty eradication Action Plan (PEAP), Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA), National Forestry Authority (NFA), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) and the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) supported by a series of NGOs which monitor and partner with them. 

The Hunger situation is however still huge, mostly affected by corruption, double standards showed by government on efforts to conserve the environment and limited budget allocation to agricultural sector (not more than 5%). As the population grows (now at 31 million) with increased unemployment and subsequent poverty levels and at 1.2 growth rate every year, social and life systems will continue to suffer. Already unemployment of the youth has been placed at 83% by the new African Development Indicator report. This creates a cycle of negligent, violence (or civil strife), disease, ignorance, poverty and back to hunger. Amidst such human evils Marxist tendencies could evolve as a means to fight hunger and search for human dignity (access to jobs, enabling fiscal policies, and accountability systems) –a situation similar to the 2011 revolutions outbreak in the Arab World. 

Yet by the time it reached national and global movement families and social ties had been broken through negligent and neglect of social obligations and encroaching on private or environmentally inhabitable areas. It is always likely that the starving people will indeed use violence and other unethical means to find food while in turn private owners turn to the same tool to defend their wealth (or land and plantations). 

The Union of Community Development Volunteers has been at the forefront of interventions aimed at transforming lives of most in-need and marginalized communities through agro-forestry with special emphasis of previous extinct locally shriving species, biodiversity development, ecosystems development and eco-tourism, environment and biodiversity conservation (all under the scope of environment protection), vulnerable children care and education with emphasis that they are nurtured in cultures and communities we find them among, safe-water access, partnerships, advocacy and volunteerism –using the youth as the agents of change. The youth actions do not only positively impact the communities they work among but themselves, as well. The millennium development goals stipulate the need to halve hunger by 2015 as most top agenda. 

Despite efforts to address rising hunger, it continues to paralyze human security. Malnutrition affects 32.5% of children in developing countries –negatively affecting both their physical and mental development. Them, pregnant women, disabled and elderly are most at risk. It can be noted from reports issued by international organizations that war, population growth (at 31 million) and poverty (with 37% below poverty line), poor development support infrastructure, climate change and poor agricultural attitudes are primary agents of hunger. As a result an estimated 600,000 Ugandans have already become food insecure. Vulnerability to illnesses and death turns out to be the most imminent situation as food and psychological insecurity breeds violence (including domestic and social strife) –a vehicle to the already menacing hunger. Hunger as a credible cause of social disruption and a product of decision-making ills and socio-economic mishaps needs redress. 

The diminishing cultural solidarity and leadership, the dying sense of community, de-culturalisation and language extinction due to socioeconomic and political dominance of other communities and cultures, who take central roles from, and interest from governments and have done so since the colonial era. As a consequence, they got compromised to abandon what is their own and disguise for something else in order to be considered for the share of national resources. 

The lack of political participation and economic share cause so many other miseries, including poverty, ignorance, and disease. While attempting to deal with the long-term structural problems, UCDV thus took the responsibility to itself to alleviate health concerns through safe-water access, ignorance through education access for vulnerable children, and food security through youth employment access and environment protection while dealing with the structural problems through advocacy, volunteerism and partnership development.