The Nawantale Region, Uganda

Nawantale is 3 hours north of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The soil is volcanic and rich. Local vegetation in the wet season grows well: tomatoes, corn (maize), potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, species of collard greens (called dodo), carrots, bananas, lemons, mangoes and more.

Typical Irish Potato Field – Nawantale Area 2007

Villagers raise their own chickens, goats, beef, and hogs. When villagers tend their own crops, they eat fairly well if the harvesting can be rotated during the wet season. It is a different story when the summer season arrives, which is dry and persistently inhospitable to vegetables. Since November 2008, the entire area suffers from lack of rain! During December through early February – many families had to choose between finding water or food. TODAY, the villagers have a borehole well, so the insecurity about cooking and washing water is over! But the drought continues…

This is a new borehole well on the Uganda Community School campus for all the Nawantale villagers to use.