Supported by CPAR's CIDA-funded Moving Beyond Hunger project, CPAR-Uganda is working with farming communities in Lira District, Northern Uganda to help improve their level of food security.

As part of its community programs in Dibate, CPAR has helped to develop new water points, protect natural springs and to construct tanks that collect and store rainwater near primary schools.CPAR-Uganda is providing farming communities with pairs of oxen, farming equipment and training in and promoting the use of animal traction to efficiently cultivate large plots of land.

Animal Traction in Lira, Northern Uganda

"I could not believe the volume of my crop harvest this season." says Anna Okello. "As a result of animal traction I was able to cultivate a large piece of land and was able to plant more and increase my harvest."

"Thanks to CPAR-Uganda, and the money I earned from my harvest, I can now pay for my children's school fees," Anna continues.

You can directly support rural farmers in Northern Uganda through CPAR's Face of Giving initiative: www.faceofgiving.ca

Good for the environment

Animal traction refers to the use of draught animals to provide motive power for vehicles or machinery.

The earliest uses of domestic animals were for meat and direct personal transportation. Domestic animals were also used for pulling plows, providing power for mills and other stationary equipment, and pulling other farm equipment.

Livestock is also used in logging operations to drag logs out of the woods. Today, in Northern Uganda, this method is commonly employed as an environmentally-friendly strategy because it is less destructive to woodlands.