The Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Zhang Lizhong, has said his government will jointly promote sustainable agricultural growth in Karamoja.
He said the move aims at cultivating a self-reliant people in the sub-region.
Quoting a Chinese proverb, ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime’, Zhang said this philosophy has guided China’s approach to development and co-operation.
He said his country will not only provide emergency food assistance, but also promote sustainable agriculture in Karamoja.
“By establishing irrigation systems, sourcing food locally will improve and encourage farmers to grow more food,” Zhang said.
The ambassador was speaking on Wednesday during the launch of rice distribution for Karamoja at Nakapelimoru village, Kotido district.
Over 1.6 metric tonnes of rice will be distributed in the entire Karamoja in co-ordination with the Office of the Prime minister and World Food Programme.
The food assistance that arrived in the country last year targets over 60,000 vulnerable people. These include community members severely affected by food insecurity, victims of natural disasters and the needy schools.
Zhang said Karamoja is endowed with lots of wealth, noting that the resources could contribute to the development of its people.
Under the theme, China Aid, for the shared future, Zhang thanked the Government for its dedicated efforts and support rendered to the China-Uganda education co-operation including partners for the logistics.
On behalf of the resident district commissioners’ (RDCs) fraternity, the Kotido RDC, Charles Icogor, said most families in Karamoja were now embracing agriculture.
However, the vagaries of weather due to climate change, erratic rains and drought are affecting the survival of the community.
Icogor said it is the reason why the Government has introduced irrigation schemes at the household level in the sub-region.
He congratulated the people of China for working hard to make Karamoja food secure. Donato Oola, the Kotido district chief administrative officer, said the local government remains challenged with food insecurity.
He attributed the chronic food shortage to the pockets of insecurity that still threaten farmers in the bushes saying for the past months most people have now shifted to the green belt, which lies along the Karamoja-Teso, Acholi regional boundary to practice agriculture.
Presiding over the ceremony, the Minister of Karamoja Affairs, Peter Amaitum Lokeris, encouraged the community to take advantage of the prevailing peace ushered in by government to better lives.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Front: Zhang (second-left); the district chairperson of Kotido, Paul Lote Komol (fourth-left) with other officials during the launch of the rice distribution exercise in Karamoja sub-region at Nakapelimoru village in Kotido district on Wednesday. (Photo by Olandason Wanyama)
