Kashija food sovereignty cooperative for Batwa communities

SEEDS OF SOVEREIGNTY: NOURISHING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH AGROECOLOGY The Seeds of Sovereignty: Nourishing the Community Through Agroecology project is dedicated to empowering and sustaining the Batwa community of Kashija by addressing the persistent hunger and food insecurity they face through the development of a community farm, the creation of a community cooperative and the construction and management of essential infrastructure for seed storage and food security. The project will address hunger while respecting the Batwa’s cultural heritage, integrating traditional ecological knowledge of plants and culturally relevant foods. Seeds of Sovereignty's focus includes land tenure, infrastructure building and community training in sustainable farming techniques, fostering ecological and economic sustainability, food security, and community health. The long-term sustainability of the project relies on the cooperative's capacity to successfully maintain and develop the farm and market surplus farm products. Through effective marketing, the cooperative will generate the revenue needed to cover operational expenses and invest in the development of the farm. This secures the project's viability into the future. BIDO will play a pivotal role in facilitating the implementation of this project, leveraging its strong rapport and trust within the community. With years of dedicated work and commitment to the well-being of the Batwa people in five surrounding settlements, BIDO has earned the respect and confidence of the community members. This existing buy-in and collaboration will be instrumental in ensuring the successful execution of the project. To optimize resource use and adopt a deliberate approach, six BIDO staff members will undergo agroecology training by ESAFF, a prominent Ugandan agroecology expert group and small farmer forum, renowned for its successful implementation of similar projects. This training will equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to replicate the training in other communities during the project’s replication phase, ensuring the effective dissemination of the knowledge acquired.