The National Household Survey report for Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) released for the FY 2019/20 ranked Lango sub-region 6th with 23.4% of the population living below the poverty line. The report also indicates that poverty within the region increased by 7.4% from 16% in 2016 through June 2020. When rebels attacked these areas men and women had their limbs amputated, produce and animals were looted and facilities for agriculture vandalized. The humanitarian crisis intensified when the rebel occupied these areas up to approximately 20 years. Gardens, granaries (seed banks) and livestock reserve and other food crops like cassava, maize, groundnuts, etc. were destroyed.
Lango Sub-region, the identified project implementation location is one of the largest ethnic groupings in the Northern part of Uganda that had experienced some of the most ghastly, cruel, incapacitating, militating, maiming and torching acts since 1987 to 2006 (Approximately 20 years) of LRA civil war. The region is located in an area with two major farming seasons, largely a grass land, with few major water bodies, swamps and hills. Traditionally, the region was known for production of cotton as its major cash crop which has been declining overtime. The vegetation structure ranges from wood land savanna, relatively flood plains, grass lands and inland valley swamps and soil structure really suitable for crop and animal production, its plentiful average water supply throughout the year enables it to accommodate large human populations crowded in to small farming hamlets scattered all over the sub-region.
Currently the women within the Sub-region are increasingly involved in production of food crop requirements for subsistence. Additionally, they remained hugely responsible for food preparation, childcare, and household management for the marginalized poor families, which influence their time and energy for agricultural activities, yet contrarily locked out off some of the vital value chain processes like processing, storage and marketing, making them disadvantaged when reaping the gains from their labor efforts.
Institutional involvement of women and youths in the project area development is relatively low. There is the need to integrate them into mainstream development by organizing them into farmer groups, which requires an expansion of the scope for knowledge and skills. There are many areas where women development programs can be implemented such as this programme.