Resource 2: A comparison of Nyalokot and Kinamwanga

 Teacher resource for planning or adapting to use with pupils

Nyalakot village is located in Tororo Province, Eastern Uganda. It is a rural farming community of about 6,200 people. Residents of Nyalokot village are mostly mixed farmers. Conditions are good for farming. The people grow a variety of crops including maize, millet, sorghum, cassava, cabbage, coffee, plantains and onions, and fruits such as mango, papaya and pineapple. They also keep poultry, goats and cattle. Fresh water comes from boreholes, which may mean a long walk. There are schools, although the classes are very big – perhaps 150 children – and there is a church in the village. A main road runs through the village so goods not produced locally can be brought in, but most farm produce is sold in the local market and stores, not to big traders, so villagers are not able to raise financial resources to improve social amenities such as school buildings, water supplies, housing, electricity etc.

If you have access to the Internet, you can find a virtual tour of Nyalokot village at http://www.planusa.org [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] . Kinamwanga village is in Kamuli district, southeastern Uganda, about 4 km from Nawankembo. It has a population of only about 715 people. The village is by a lake and has water on two sides. There is a trading centre with a drug shop, nursery school and other stores. Children travel to school in Nawankembo and people also have to travel there to places of worship. People use boiled lake water rather than walk to the nearest borehole. As well as farming, there is fishing in the lake and the landing area has been improved. The primary school facilities in Nawankembo have been improved thanks to the efforts of parents. The drug shop improves access to health services as it is owned by a nurse, who provides treatment and prescribes and sells drugs.

A variety of crops are grown for home consumption and for sale locally and more widely (such as cotton and vanilla). Livestock can be taken to one of the markets elsewhere in the county but farmers also sell at the farm gate as buyers often come to them. There are other sources of income from activities such as brewing and selling drinks, building, carpentry, tailoring, handicrafts and brick making, all of which help to increase the income of local people. Although the village is very small and lacks some facilities, such as piped water, the villagers can enjoy the better facilities of the larger village, Nawankembo, close by.