People with disabilities, whether from birth or as the result of an accident, receive very little, if any, support from the Uganda Government. In an area where the majority of people survive by subsistence farming, a disability can seriously limit a person’s ability to grow food. The physical work in preparing the ground and then harvesting crops will be major challenges and will often result in their yields being lower than for more able-bodied people. There is a spiral of problems in which poor yields lead to low family income, which limits peoples ability to buy tools or to obtain good seeds for planting next year. People can be heavily dependent on help from others. The Yetana Support Group is based in Kimaluli-Butta. It comprises over 30 families and was set up as a means of providing more structured support to members of the group from family members or from the broader community. Nevertheless, their lives continued to be difficult.
KRDP has tried to help by two projects aimed at improving agricultural yields. We have provided tools that can be used on a communal basis and an adequate supply of seeds for various crops that are a vital part of the local diet. The projects also enabled some local labour to be hired to prepare the ground and to remove weeds as crops are growing. These projects have made a major difference. Crop yields are significantly higher and families are in a more self-sustaining situation by being able to save seeds for use next year or being able to afford to buy them.
Kimbuta Rural Development Programme 