Sowing A New Beginning

By David Snyder

LUKODI, Uganda — Lukodi, a camp for people displaced by violence, sits on an open plain outside of the town of Gulu in northern Uganda. With its tight circle of traditional huts, the camp gives little hint of the history of this rural region — a history that has led to more than 1.6 million people being uprooted and engulfed by nearly two decades of conflict.

But for camp residents like Francis Oola and his wife Beatrice, every day is a reminder of what they have lost. Displaced twice by the war between rebels and government forces in Uganda's long-running conflict, Francis knows well the hardships that conflict can cause.

Dealing With Displacement

Francis explains that the conflict first forced his family to leave their home in a nearby village back in 2002. They ended up settling into Lukodi camp, but two years later, it and two other camps were attacked for no apparent reason. "First we went to town, but we couldn't afford it, so we came back here," Francis says.

Now Francis, Beatrice and their five children have effectively lived in Lukodi camp for more than five years. Like many in northern Uganda, they have struggled to grow crops, but fear attacks if they stray too far from the protected camps. Francis, who cares for four younger siblings in addition to his own children, often simply wasn't able to produce enough food to feed his family.

Then Francis heard about a project sponsored by Catholic Relief Services and funded by the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. The project was helping farmers affected by the war by providing them with access to seeds, including improved seeds that produce better yields than the local variety available in the markets. The seeds, coupled with a shaky cease-fire that has held since 2006, are enabling displaced families to return to their fields, plant and harvest crops, and ultimately become more self-sufficient.

Helping Farmers Feed Their Families

Through the project, CRS' local partners, Caritas Uganda and the Church of Uganda (Anglican), are bringing eligible farmers and seed sellers together to participate in seed fairs. The farmers receive a set of colored vouchers worth varying amounts, totaling around $20. They then "shop" at the fair, paying seed sellers — many of whom are also local farmers — with their vouchers for whatever seeds the buyers think are best to grow. After the fair is over, the sellers hand in the vouchers to the local partner staff for cash payment. Through this method, farmers retain control over the crops they grow, and profits from seed sales stay in the community, helping to improve an economy weakened by conflict.

By the end of October 2007, CRS had reached 34,000 households with seed vouchers, targeting displaced families who are starting to return to their abandoned farms in four districts of northern Uganda. Taking advantage of the improved stability in the region, many people are moving from larger, older camps to newer transitional camps closer to their original homes. From there, they can reach their land to farm safely during the day. The seed fair project gives these farmers the seed they need to plant and harvest an initial crop, from which they can save some seeds to plant the next season.

With his vouchers, Francis decided to buy groundnuts (peanuts) and beans.

"Groundnuts and beans are expensive, so it was best to take those," he explains. "Getting groundnuts and beans was hard, because we couldn't afford it."

With only enough seed to plant half an acre, Francis carefully planted his first batch of seeds in April. When he went to harvest his plants in July, the new varieties of seeds surprised even him with the yield they produced.

"The harvest was good," Francis says. "We got five and a half bags [of groundnuts]. If it were the old seeds, we'd get like three bags if I planted the same amount. But these seeds are better."

With a surplus of seeds — each bag weighs 120 pounds — Francis plans to save some of his harvest to use as seed during the next planting season. He also plans to sell any extra seeds his family doesn't eat. The income is critical at a time when few in the area have any capital with which to rebuild their lives. For Francis and his wife, still living in the camp and afraid — like many others here — to return full-time to their village, there is one factor alone that will determine when they go home for good.

"As long as peace comes, we'll go back," Francis says.

David Snyder is a photojournalist who has traveled to more than 30 countries with CRS. Most recently, David visited country programs in southern and eastern Africa, including Uganda.