Despite its great potential, 40 per cent of the people of Uganda in East Africa still live below the poverty line. To end poverty, the government is stressing agriculture and nutrition, and the world's largest non-governmental organisation, Bangladesh-based BRAC, is working to lift marginalised people from the grassroots up.

Uganda is called the Pearl of Africa. The decade from 1970 to 80 was a dark time for the country, when more than 5 lakh people lost their lives in civil war, and its effects lasted long after. Because of that, the country of 2,36,040 square kilometres still struggles to meet the food needs of a population of fewer than 4 crore. BRAC, the world's largest NGO, has stood beside the people of such a country to change their thinking, working to open their eyes to agriculture and nutrition.

Sweet potato is Uganda's staple food. From BRAC, people here have come to know the orange-fleshed sweet potato, rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene. With cultivation techniques and inputs for growing it, many farm men and women have turned their lives around.

This combined agriculture and nutrition campaign has spread to 64 of the country's 120 districts. People's eagerness to learn new information on farming and nutrition shows that everyone involved will succeed in reaching the goal of food security.

A detailed report was scheduled for Hridoye Mati O Manush after the 9pm news that night.

Source: Shykh Seraj, Hridoye Mati O Manush. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.