Food For Thought Programme

This programme is run jointly by DDE and Exeter Diocese. The project is aimed at Primary School children in Devon and Uganda and explores food issues - growing, preparing, cooking, eating and recycling - and particularly focuses on sustainable agriculture/organic methods.

The partner organisation in Uganda is the Kulika Charitable Trust, which has a very strong programme on sustainable agriculture.

Food for Thought school linking between Devon and two Districts in Uganda is now in its 6th year. The two districts in Uganda are Mubende District in the centre of the country which has always been relatively peaceful and prosperous and Gulu District in the North which has been war-torn in the last 20 years.

School linking has taken on a much higher national profile over the past three years. DFID (Department for International Development) and DFES (Department for Education and Skills) have been encouraging schools to develop links in several countries.

Funding for Food for Thought has been an ongoing challenge, but a fund-raising speaker tour in November 2006, with Ugandan teacher Flugencia Tumwesigye resulted in donations of £7000. This has been enough to fund two part-time coordinators, one in Gulu and one in Mubende, for one year. There has also been an increase in the number of schools involved with five schools in Berkshire and one more in Devon joining the programme.

Several meetings and discussions have been held over the past few years Mubende with local authorities and finally in May 2007, during a visit by Elijah Kyamuwendo, Chief Executive of Kulika (and still an active small scale farmer), the Children and Young Peoples’ Directorate of Devon County Council agreed to invite three Ugandan District Education Officers to visit Devon in order to identify how best the education authorities can help each other.

A recent External Evaluation Report (July 2007) concluded:

"The Food for Thought Devon-Uganda Linking Schools Programme has been implemented in ten very different Primary Schools, nine from Devon and one from Dorset, ranging from two class rural schools to sixteen class city schools from 2001 to the current date. There was much evidence of this programme in the schools including vegetable gardens, displays end exhibitions of work carried out on related projects to certificates of International Schools Award, Healthy Schools, Eco Schools, photographs and press cuttings.

"The The Food for Thought programme has established organic gardens in all the schools and has promoted an awareness of food issues. Many schools have the Healthy Schools award and are keen to develop a good attitude towards food and eating. Other issues such as the environment and sustainability are closely linked with the FFT programme and displays on the environment and recycling are evident in many of the schools.

"Linking the schools between Devon and Uganda has undoubtedly brought a cultural awareness to many children who live in a predominately mono-cultural society both in Devon and Uganda. It has engaged children in food issues in Uganda enabling them to understand the importance of growing food using sustainable farming methods. The exchange of food diaries and ways of cooking food has helped the children discuss similarities and differences between two countries. Most of the children know where Uganda is situated and are able to talk about the country easily.

"Visitors from Uganda have helped develop a cultural awareness for many of the children in Devon as there have been many opportunities for them to meet and talk with the visitors during assemblies, class discussions, school council meetings and during lunch times."

To read the full Evaluation report in pdf format click here

For a 2006 newsletter on the Food for Thought programme click here.