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Victor Karamagi gave up a promising career as a journalist in Uganda's capital city Kampala, to join the Ugandan Red Cross as its communications officer. The 25-year-old works to improve communications across the national society and is constantly in touch with branches in some of the most troubled parts of the country.

26/03/2007

This is a time of hope.

It is a few days to the planting season in the northern part of Uganda. The rains are here, and the soils will soon be opening up.

The weather pattern in northern Uganda is so distinct that the planting and harvest seasons are well defined.

It's the rainy season now in this part of Uganda. The mood is different, because it has been years since the people here looked forward to the planting season. In some areas, it has been over a decade.

Since the beginning of the year however, the relative stability has meant that people here can access some pieces of land near the IDP camps and do some cultivation. And despite all difficulties, the people here are getting ready.

Early this month, the Uganda Red Cross began a series of seed distributions to enable people take advantage of the rains. The distributions, which include other items such as a hoe, 3 bars of soap and 2kgs of salt, will ensure that over 150 families take care of their food security, or at least have a say. Some of the camps whose residents have already received seeds include Apala, Okwang, Balocok in Lira and Kitgum districts.

Ms. Christine Abol has been living in Apala camp for about six years. Her sole source of food used to be handouts from the UN World Food Programme. But around this time last year, she received seeds from the Uganda Red Cross and took care of her need for food; only that she could not save some for the next planting season because of the shortage at the time.

Further outside the camp, she is preparing the same land for this season, and she's also thinking about next year. “Many of us can now access some land because the place is quiet, and there should enough so that from the harvest, I can save some for next year,” she said.

As people start relocating nearer and nearer to their villagers, so does the available land for cultivation. And so will the stories such as that of Abol. But so will the need for more support for food security. Seeds and farm implements therefore will become essential in efforts to strengthen food security projects in the region.