I was privileged to visit a grain amaranth growing project in Eastern Uganda called Garner Amaranth. They were growing and promoting a high quality grain amaranth for use as a nutritional food supplement which is particularly beneficial for people suffering from HIV/AIDS. For those unfamiliar with amaranth, it is in the same family as ‘pig weed’, a nasty weed in North America. Its seeds are slightly smaller than sesame but have a very high protein quality and can be ground into flour or popped, like popcorn, but much smaller, making it very digestible. We were treated to a tasty meal by Garner, which, not surprisingly, incorporated amaranth into every dish. I am not sure if it was the power of suggestion or not, but I woke up feeling healthy and strong the next morning!
From there we drove north to the Teso region of Uganda, an area affected by the rebel army of Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). As late as 2003, the area had been attacked by the LRA and as a result thousands of people had been living in IDP camps; makeshift towns that housed more people than is healthy, disrupting culture, livelihoods and relationships. Now, fortunately for Uganda and unfortunately for the Central African Republic, Sudan and Congo, the LRA has been kicked out of Uganda and are operating in the bush on the shared borders of CAR, Sudan and Congo. Just last week, LRA soldiers had attacked a small town in CAR capturing 30 people who had gathered for shelter at the local Catholic church. Benoit, my Central African colleague, was most upset and asked Uganda to come and get him and see he can face justice. I am pretty sure Uganda does not want him back.
We had a chance to visit farming cooperatives and learn about the way they are organized and work together. It was inspiring and I know Benoit learned a lot that he will take back to CAR. While our context in CAR is different from that in Uganda, I think it was inspiring for Benoit to see fellow Africans, with similar food and agriculture challenges solving their own problems in an organized and, in many times, profitable way. We will have a lot to discuss when we get back to CAR as far as project organization and program planning go.
This trip has been valuable for Benoit to see his African brothers and sisters taking steps towards their own freedom in ways that can be achieved in CAR as well. With time, they will be singing freedom from poverty in CAR too.
This is Benoit seeing sunflower, an oil crop, for the first time. He is very interested!
