Refugees in Kiryandongo find stability and nutrition through FAO’s poultry farming initiative

KIRYANDONGO, December 14, 2025 –When the conflict in Sudan reached Khartoum in 2023, Fatima Salih Mohammed, a 30-year-old mother of six, was forced to flee. She arrived in Uganda with her six children, while her husband remained in Sudan, his whereabouts still unknown.

Settling in Kiryandong Refugee settlement was difficult at the start. Slowly, she started rebuilding her life, though largely reliant on food aid.  Through support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations [FAO] under the Emergency Support to Enhance Food, Nutrition and Energy Security project, Fatima began to rebuild her life. She received ten chicks and chicken feed, along with training in poultry care, vaccination, hygiene, disease identification, and integrated crop–livestock practices.

“I was taught about hygiene, how to clean the chicken house, feed the birds properly, and identify common diseases,” she explained.

With these skills, Fatima expanded her flock to 25 chickens. She sold five birds to buy additional feed. Today, with 20 chickens, she enjoys fresh eggs from her own birds. The poultry business provides her family with nutritious food and a steady source of income.

“The money I get from selling eggs allows me to feed my family and plan for my children’s education,” Fatima says.
The benefits extend beyond poultry. Fatima uses chicken droppings as an organic fertilizer in her garden, where she grows maize, sukuma, and cabbage. In turn, the chickens feed on some of the crop residues, creating a sustainable cycle that strengthens her household’s food and nutrition security.

Like Fatima, Mohamed Elamin Mohamed Ibrahim, 34, also fled Sudan in 2023 and settled in Bweyale Town Council, Kiryandongo District. Arriving alone and without resources, he recalls:
“There was a time we had no food.”

Through the FAO project, Mohamed received training in poultry management. Unlike Fatima, he bought his first chickens from other refugee households who had received FAO poultry kits. At the peak, he managed 105 birds but sold most of the cocks, earning between Shs 35,000 and 40,000 per bird. Today, he keeps 81 chickens mainly females, to focus on egg production. He now expects to collect up to two trays of eggs daily and has bigger plans.

“I want to own an incubator and sell 500 chicks as a start, distributing them to both the refugees and host community,” Mohamed explains.

Like Fatima, Mohamed also practices integrated farming. Chicken droppings enrich his garden soil, helping him grow sukuma and green cabbage. This combined approach strengthens his family’s nutrition, generates income, and makes the most of his small piece of land.

According to Joshua Nahurira, Programme Assistant, FAO Kiryandongo, an assessment revealed that many refugee households included children under five, lactating mothers, and the elderly groups with specific nutrition needs. Yet, the World Food Programme [WFP] support at the time was limited to monthly rations of  five kilograms of rice and five kilograms of beans per person, but fell short on vitamins, minerals, and protein.

“There was need for integration of nutrition-sensitive programming to address the nutrition needs of these categories,” Joshua said. “FAO identified and supported 800 households with Kuroiler chickens to improve diets for children under five and lactating mothers. The eggs supplement daily meals, while the sale of chickens and eggs enables families to purchase more diverse foods. This support bridges the nutrition gaps left by standard rations.”

Building resilience through poultry
The Emergency Support to Enhance Food, Nutrition and Energy Security project, implemented by FAO in partnership with the Government of Uganda through the Office of the Prime Minister, is enabling refugees to rebuild their lives through poultry farming and crop integration.

So far, the project has supported 800 extremely vulnerable households with one-month-old chicks and start-up kits. Each household received ten chicks, a month’s supply of feed, and vaccinations against Newcastle disease, Gumboro disease, and other common poultry diseases.

Alongside these inputs, FAO provides continuous technical support on poultry management, feeding, hygiene, vaccination, and integration with crops ensuring sustainability and resilience.
SOURCE: FAO Uganda

https://thecooperator.news/fao-director-general-commends-naro-for-enhancing-food-security-in-uganda/

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