South Sudanese Refugees in Uganda Resort to Farming as UN Food Ratio Reduces

 The Continued rainfalls in Uganda has been a blessing to many South Sudanese refugees currently living in settlements in Northern Uganda as they have resorted to renting farms from the locals and engage in farming in order to supplement the food ratio offered by World Food Program (WFP).

 According to Mr. Alex Loburi, the refugees’ welfare council chairperson at Ofua Zone of Rhino Refugees’ Settlement in Terego District, World Food Program has reduced food ratio to the refugees currently living in settlements in Uganda by 30%, this has adversely affected many families as what is being offered cannot meet their needs.

 This has compelled many of them to find other ways of supplementing what they are receiving. Owing to lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic, movements are restricted therefore it is difficult to find other ways of earning. The only option left to many of these refugees is therefore to rent farms from local people and do some farming.

 ‘’Due to the coronavirus pandemic refugees now get their little food ratio after every two months. Many families cannot depend on this because the food received cannot last that long,” Alex explained adding that items such as salt and sugar have been cut off from the ratio making life more difficult for many refugees who have no source of income to acquire such item.

 ‘’Instead of waiting for the two months to get the food ratio, many refugees now collaborate with host communities and rent some land from where they are able to plant crops which take a shorter time to grow, such as sweet potatoes, sesame seeds (commonly known as simsim), cassava, groundnuts, sorghum among others.” These Alex explained are used use for consumption by the refugees while they sell the surplus to earn some income to buy what they do not have.

 Alex further expressed that the many refugee youths who were staying at the trading centers have all gone to the farm and are busy cultivating. He is therefore optimistic that by early next year, many refugees will not depend much on the long-awaited UN food ratio. He, therefore, encourages his fellow refugees to cooperate with the Uganda nationals so that they can be given a piece of land to cultivation instead of becoming beggars

 Mawa Steven, a 26-year-old South Sudanese refugee says that much of his time is now spent at the farm taking advantage of the available rains.

 ‘’With the reduced food ratio, life had become extremely hard for me and my six children. This has forced me to rent a piece of land from the nationals and plant some crops. This is better than waiting for the food ratio,’’ he said adding that with what he is having on the farm, he is not going to depend on the UN food ratio by next year as the product will be enough for his family consumption and some surplus to sell. He, therefore, appealed to his fellow refugees to learn how to be self-reliant rather than depending fully on WFP.

 Sharing the same sentiments, another South Sudanese refugee, Joy Kiden explained that with the closure of schools due to COVID19, she now has the support of her children on the farm she has rented and she is positive that their collective effort at the farm will surely bear many fruits.

 “I am optimistic that by the time schools reopen, I will have a surplus from the farm to sell and provide my children with school fees and other school requirements; we now just have to work hard,” she expressed urging other students who are at home to help their parents in the farms rather than roaming around the settlement and spending time playing cards at the trading centers.

By Gaaniko Samson Jerry