Quarterly Program Report: Nuyok - Development Food Security Activities in Uganda

The project aims to build resilience to shocks, enhance livelihoods, and improve food security and nutrition for vulnerable rural families in three districts of Karamoja – Abim, Nakapiripirit, and Napak. These districts are home to 406,880 people living in an estimated 58,126 households, with activities extending to 617 villages in the districts' 23 sub-counties. The project uses an integrated approach to address food and nutrition security in Karamoja, working with and through official and traditional government, civil society, and private-sector actors. Nuyok is monitoring the operational environment in Karamoja, where the rains started earlier this year, in March, compared to intermittent rainfall which began late in April last year. According to the Uganda National Integrated Early Warning System, the northeastern region in Uganda is expected to receive near normal rains and episodic flash floods might be experienced in the areas expecting near normal to above normal rainfall. During the inception meetings with local government officials and stakeholders, multiple implementation considerations materialized. There are various partners implementing projects in the same area as Nuyok, which offers possibilities for coordination, but also redundancy. It was recommended that Nuyok work through already existing structures (community, district leaders) whenever possible to ensure that the project reaches beneficiaries who have not benefited from previous interventions. New sub-counties have been carved out of the districts, which will increase the number of government structures Nuyok will be working with. The project's implementation plan includes participatory community planning within each village, with a focus on addressing food and nutrition security in Karamoja. Nuyok will support and facilitate community planning, working with local government officials and stakeholders to ensure that the project reaches beneficiaries who have not benefited from previous interventions. The project's integrated approach will address food and nutrition security, with a focus on vulnerable rural families in the three districts of Karamoja. Nuyok's monitoring and evaluation plan includes tracking progress against key indicators, including food security and nutrition outcomes, as well as monitoring the operational environment in Karamoja. The project will use a Theory of Change approach to guide its implementation, with a focus on building resilience to shocks, enhancing livelihoods, and improving food security and nutrition for vulnerable rural families in Karamoja.