Food poverty is a huge issue for thousands of families in parts of Uganda, despite clement weather and ample land. In many ways, these people are no different to us. They are hard-working, industrious and creative and yet so many do not know where their next meal will come from, let alone when. The people I have met also have dignity and pride; they don't want to see their children go hungry, yet they do not beg. These families are not looking for handouts but, for things to change, they do need a hand up. From what I have seen and am doing, I now know that things can be different. This situation is being turned around and, with your help, things can be different for hundreds, if not thousands of families.

Here's the problem.

Although most families own or have access to large expanses of land on which to grow food, their ability to do so is impaired by their inability to plant enough seed in each of the planting seasons, to provide food for themselves.

This situation is exacerbated by the fact that It is very often the women who take on the ‘burden’ of providing food for their families. Although willing and perfectly able to plant their seed, time is not on their side. Narrow planting seasons and their other responsibilities (looking after their children, or working away from home to earn money) impact the opportunity they have to plant before the rains come. When they are able to plant seed, they have to do so using hand hoes, spoons or even their fingers to open up the hard, often caked soil. Land which could otherwise be planted becomes over-grown with weeds. And the families will go hungry once the little food they can grow runs out.

The case being made here is one which has the potential to transform the lives of families and indeed whole communities in Ugandan communities. The issue isn’t the lack of land, or a harsh climate, or people unwilling to work in order to provide food for themselves and their families. The ‘window’ for planting seed is very narrow. The issue is time.

Here's my solution

I am currently testing a new way for families to grow more food using ox-drawn ploughs to open up the soil, making it possible for families to plant more seed before the rains come.

I have ploughed five acres of land for five families; four acres of maize and one of beans. For the first time, these families will have surplus crops from the harvest which can be sold at market. Not only will the money their hard work has earned over 12 months enable their children to go to school, the family to have access to healthcare.

Also, by pooling their resources, these five families plan to buy their own oxen, their own plough and be given training in their use. These five families are on their way to self-sufficiency and this is the story I want to tell, through the medium of film.

The £3,000 I am asking for here is enable me to film the harvest of maize in early July, interviews with the five families and a coordinator from their local church and post-production upon my return to the UK.

I commit to providing a copy of this film to each and every individual who shares my passion to make a real and lasting difference to hard-working families in Uganda...