Poor drainage. Poor housing. High cost of living. Survival for the fittest. These are some of what
describe many slum communities in Kampala. And Katwe I is not any different from those
descriptions. Katwe I zone is found in Katwe, a suburb of Kampala.
The increasing cost of living means many people in slum communities are bound to face it
difficult to put food on the table every day and every time they are supposed to. Their challenge
is, indeed, a global challenge. The United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation estimates
that about 11% of the global population are facing food security and that the situation could be
worse in developing countries. The UN notes that some of the reasons for the low productivity of
food crops is the change in climate.
However, despite that, at individual level, there are things we can do to improve the situation.
Some of the residents of Katwe I are not taking all the challenges lying down. They have
embarked on numerous alternatives to help them solve the challenge of food scarcity. One of
the initiatives is box gardening, which suits the small spaces in an urban environment. They
grow vegetables and potatoes in the boxes. With such an initiative, they are able to supplement
on the food they get from other sources, such as markets, while also increasing on the amount
of green in the environment. Nakalanda Phiona is among the residents practising box
gardening.

BY NAKANDI MASTULA

Community Journalist