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0St. Anthony Farm Project
Social Disruption
The civil war, which lasted twenty years, forced 80% of the population to leave their homes and seek refuge in protected camps. More than 1,600,000 people in Northern Uganda were forced to live as displaced persons in their own land, under extremely precarious conditions.
The war left very serious consequences on economic and employment activities. Life spent in refugee camps led to a loss of agricultural knowledge and skills for at least two generations, in addition to numerous issues related to land ownership and land use rights.
To this already dramatic past, the phenomenon of land grabbing has been added: the unlawful seizure of land, sold to multinational companies or foreign governments without the consent of local communities. This has resulted in numerous cases of forced evictions, mass deforestation for the purpose of selling land to investors, and the trade of timber for export abroad
The St. Anthony Farm Project
To counter the phenomenon of land grabbing, Good Samaritan, in collaboration with the NGO Comboni Samaritans of Gulu, launched an agricultural project aimed at enhancing the value of a plot of land of approximately 45 acres through the creation of a farm dedicated to crop cultivation and livestock farming.
The St. Anthony Farm project aims to improve agri-food knowledge among individuals and communities living in the areas surrounding the farm and within the region where our partner NGO operates.
Today, the main pillar for the farm’s sustainability is the strengthening of cattle farming and the expansion of dairy milk production on a larger scale. The objective is to make the farm’s activities self-sustaining by implementing and improving the milk production process.
St. Anthony Farm serves as a training center for the area and as a place where agri-food production can be developed. These products can then be distributed to the beneficiaries of other projects run by the NGO Comboni Samaritans of Gulu, ensuring food quality while reducing expenses related to food purchases.
Currently, collaborations are active with vocational and technical schools, as well as with the Faculty of Agriculture of Gulu University, to offer training internships at the farm.
The project aims to serve as a reference point for the district community. Agro-livestock training sessions are organized for young people involved in Good Samaritan projects and supported by the staff of the education department of our partner organization.
Over the years, the cooperative has been supported by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, by the CEI and by Fondazione Comunitaria del Varesotto.