evaluation of general food distribution in northern uganda: gulu ...

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10 YEARS OF FOOD AID - IMPACTTen years since it was started, NRC‘s GFD has had considerable impact on the conflict -affected communities in the Acholi sub region, some more positive than others. Asmentioned in chapter 4.1., the GFD project has identified indicators to measure thequantitative impact of its activities. Weekly, monthly and quarterly monitoring as well as postdistribution monitoring is carried out. In as much as having acknowledged the effectivenessof the GFD project and concluded that it has contributed to keeping roughly half of the IDPpopulation alive in Northern Uganda, the GFD project has had other significant effects.10.1 Women’s Empowerment/Crisis of MasculinityThe methods employed during the distribution of food aid have not only given the IDPs somelevel of autonomy through their increased participation in the distribution process, it has alsocontributed to women’s empowerment. Half of the member of the food distribution committeemust be women and this has created leade rship opportunities for women in a society whereleadership positions were traditionally held by men. This has led to a positive change in theattitude of the people towards women embracing leadership 173 . According to some FMCmembers, the presence of the women on the committee has infused gender sensitivity andparticularly in the resolution of domestic conflicts arising from food. The partner with custodyof the children (mostly women) manages food issues. 174 The reverse side of the story hasbeen the increased workload for women. More than 60% of people who come to pick therations are women, as men have tended to keep away altogether.As the registered recipients of food aid – women have acquired greater decision-makingpower in the household over how and when food utilized 175 and have become the de factobreadwinners – a position that was prior to the conflict held by the men. “Men have nothingunlike in the past when they had food”. 176 Dealing with these changes and the frustrationsthat come with confinement in the camps has not been easy for the men, a good number ofwhom have resorted to alcohol triggering a cycle of social problems - domestic violence,alcoholism and family break ups 177 . See, also recommendations for household survey ofchanges in gender dynamics in Section 7.3.10.2 Skills Transfer/EmploymentTo facilitate the distribution of food commodities, NRC has recruited over 200 volunteers whohave been trained and equipped with a variety of skills inclu ding (leadership, management,mobilization etc). Moreover, others have been employed by the organization to manage thefood distribution programme. Community members serving on the FMCs have also beenequipped with basic management skills. In addition to creating employment, income andleadership opportunities for the individuals involved, the programme has created a pool ofdedicated and skilled personnel in the Acholi sub -region: a resource for future developmentsin the region. See recommendations on utilising this resource base in Section 6.6 and inSection 9.5.10.3 Dependency SyndromeIt is debatable to what extent food aid has created dependency among the IDP commu nitiesin northern Uganda. There are those who hold the view that food aid has created173Quarterly Report Jan – March 2008, FFL/FFE174FGD with FMCs in Amuru IDP camp175Quarterly Report Jan – March 2008, FFL/FFE176Male IDP, Amuru IDP camp177FGDs with IDPs in Pawidi and Amuru50
dependency among the IDPs and unwillingness to return home . 178 With the exception ofsome extremely vulnerable households, it appears as if many households have adopteddifferent livelihood strategies to meet their food needs. As such food aid becomes only apart of their coping mechanism and not the whole picture. It is the view of the EvaluationTeam that it is other factors such as limited access to land, limited produ ctive assets andpublic services, which have suppressed the productive capacities of the IDP communities.Nevertheless for some groups of the IDP community and particularly the (male) youth foodaid might be a disincentive to agricultural production. Fur thermore, after years of confinementin the camps young men have no experience, skills or know how of working the land andsome of the young men have succumbed to ‘urban evils’ – gambling and alcoholism and arenot interested in returning to the villages. Also, as discussed in Section 7.3, thecategorization of the community into EVIs and NEVIs might in the short/medium term reflectan erosion of the traditional support mechanisms. “The war has made everybody selfish.Nobody is willing to share anything because they are not sure of how long their food stockswill last. Although they get more food, some of the elderly EVIs have become very selfisheven with their own relatives. As such people no longer have that mu ch pity for them” 179 .10.4 Creation of Parallel StructuresThe need to ensure that food gets to the right people in an orderly fashion necessitated thecreation of FMCS and close co-ordination with camp leaders. Unfortunately, the creation ofparallel structures may have inadvertently undermined the role/authority of local governmentstructure. The FMCs and Camp Management in several cases today wield more authoritythan the LCs. This has brought about some friction from the established structures nowfearing that: “Camp leaders are more influential than LC officials” 180 .178Interview with district leader, Gulu179FGD with NRC volunteers.180Interview with district leader, Amuru51
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List of Contents1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Page 6 and 7: 9.3 NRC’s Efforts Towards Connect
Page 8 and 9: tools; however it ensures food secu
Page 10 and 11: ♦♦♦♦With the ration reducti
Page 12: 1.4 CoordinationNRC’s approach to
Page 15 and 16: NRC coincided the field phase of th
Page 17 and 18: Juba talks have been perceived as t
Page 19 and 20: Table 2: 2004 Global Food Aid Deliv
Page 21 and 22: 4 PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO FOOD - TH
Page 23 and 24: 5 PROJECT RELEVANCE & APPROPRIATENE
Page 25 and 26: 5.3 Lesson Learned♦♦♦‘Being
Page 27 and 28: schedules and working long hours to
Page 29 and 30: The complaints about the failed ver
Page 31 and 32: 7 PROJECT EFFECTIVENESSHaving asses
Page 33 and 34: most and mothers observed the nutri
Page 35 and 36: 7.1.7 Lesson Learned♦ Food aid ha
Page 37 and 38: By 2005 the profile of the crisis i
Page 39 and 40: Recent studies 95 on global food se
Page 41 and 42: From the 2007 EFSA 104 it transpire
Page 43 and 44: 7.3 Project Objective 3:To safeguar
Page 45 and 46: 7.3.4 A Future Strategy for EVIs?Se
Page 47 and 48: 8 COORDINATION8.1 A Co-ordinated Re
Page 49 and 50: some extent also GoU through distri
Page 51 and 52: 9 RELIEF AND RECOVERY - CONNECTEDNE
Page 53 and 54: expected of them. From their perspe
Page 55: 9.4 Lessons Learnt♦♦♦♦♦St
Page 59 and 60: establish the food security situati
Page 61 and 62: ANNEX 1: Terms of Reference for the
Page 63 and 64: • Desk studies. As a general back
Page 65 and 66: F. Time frame and budget considerat
Page 67 and 68: Annex 2: Evaluation Programme - inc
Page 69 and 70: Annex 3: List of Documents Consulte
Page 71 and 72: Expert OpinionsMr. Joe OloyaMr. Gra
Page 73 and 74: Typical Menu:BREAKFAST:• Millet p
Page 75 and 76: NRC objectives andTOR objectivesTo
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