Quarterly Report FY2021, Quarter 1 – October 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020

AID-FFP-A-17-00006. The activity is implemented by AVSI Foundation in partnership with Trickle Up Program, Inc and IMPAQ International, LLC. The primary objective of the activity is to improve the economic and food security status of households in the refugee settlement and host communities. During the first quarter of FY2021, which spans from October 2020 to December 2020, the area received sufficient rainfall, leading to above-average second-season yields of crops such as maize, potatoes, beans, and groundnuts. However, the prolonged COVID-19 restrictions resulted in young people staying home, and households mainly relied on their own food production. With the government permitting local markets to operate, the availability and access to other foods increased. In the refugee settlement, the World Food Program maintained a stable double-ration distribution of cash and food to households, but participants preferred spending the cash on non-food items, resulting in low food availability. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the activity during the quarter, with increased community transmissions and deaths reported by the government of Uganda. As a precautionary measure, the activity temporarily limited non-essential field movements and relied on remote support to field staff. However, the government further eased restrictions on public gatherings, and the activity resumed in-person group-level activities, including group coaching, VSLAs, and group business coaching. The communities showed great improvement in adhering to standard operating procedures for COVID-19, with 99% of households reporting the use of water and soap for hand washing. The general elections in the country also had an impact on the activity during the quarter, with heightened political activities in the run-up to the elections. The activity continued to implement its interventions, including nutrition screening and referrals, coaching and referrals for critical services, private sector linkages, savings, business plans, and business coaching. The activity also monitored and evaluated its progress, conducted staff training and capacity building, and addressed challenges such as COVID-19 and market analysis. The activity's planned interventions for the second quarter of FY2021 include continuing to implement its interventions, conducting market analysis, and addressing challenges such as COVID-19. The activity also plans to continue its monitoring and evaluation, research, and learning activities, as well as its staff training and capacity building efforts. The activity's success stories include the improvement in food security and economic status of households, as well as the increased adoption of safe practices by participants in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.