Well-wishers in Lira have commenced the distribution of relief food among the hunger-affected communities in Otuke District.
About 40,000 people in the district were reported to be in need of relief food after a prolonged dry spell, which failed crops such as maize, millet, sorghum and beans in the first season. Authorities in the area confirmed that two people had lost their lives to hunger while persons living with HIV were abandoning antiretroviral therapy due to lack of food.
The distribution followed a drive to encourage well-wishers and companies to rescue the communities in Otuke whose lives were threatened by hunger. The drive resulted in the collection of 3 tons of relief food, half of which were donated by Mt. Meru millers.
The food has now been distributed to elderly persons, Persons with Disabilities and Child headed families in the areas of Barjobi Town Council, Okwang Town council, Okwang sub-county Adwari, and Alango. Each of the families received 2.5 kilogrammes of beans and 5 kilogrammes of maize flour.
Moses Anyii Omara, the Vice-chairperson of the Otuke Community in Lira says the donation is a startup kit meant to push the families for more days as they grow their own food. He adds that they will be distributing cassava cuttings and sweet potato vines in the coming weeks as the rains start.
The locals who received the food are happy that they have something to push them on for the next few days as they wait for the vegetables they have planted to mature.
Deogratious Kibirige, the Public Relations Manager for Mt Meru Millers says the donation is a move to help the vulnerable community of Otuke who for long have been supporting their operation through planting sunflowers and soybeans. He advised the locals to make the best use of the rains to not only plant cash crops but also food crops.
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