One of the most important tasks in project management is measuring project progress; in doing so, different tools are used to assess projects. The community mapping is one of the tools that CTDT employs to assess its projects.
CTDT has in the past four years been conducting the community mapping in Machavika village of Chirundu District. The mapping aims to assess the community’s adoption rates for traditional seed, agroecological practices and measures dietary diversity to measure the progress of food and nutrition security within the community. The mapping creates a platform for reflection on food and nutrition security of the community and hopes to transform mindsets and practices that would lead to food and nutrition security.
The approach is participatory with the community taking the leading role in probing conversations for reflection from amongst themselves on food and nutrition related issues considering other processes and agreements made. The process usually takes four days, on the first day, a smaller group consisting mainly of 30 community members that review the community map, dietary diversity and the crop diversity which was then is presented to the whole community the following day.
The second day of the meeting is attended by the whole village to validate the findings of the small groups which had gathered the previous day. During the process, the community develops an action plan for the following year to improve on the areas they have found to be lagging behind.
In a review process of 2022, Machavika village results showed improvements in its’ food and nutrition security. The community now appreciates agroecological practices because of the evidence seen from those practicing it as compared to the previous years. Cases of malnutrition have steadily reduced which is mainly attributed to having a wide variety of foods from all the seven food groups. The number of households consuming food from all the seven food groups was shown to have improved from the 24-hour assessment that was conducted during the process. The number of households having enough to eat throughout the year increased from 15 out of 164 to 60 out of 176 of households accessed in 2021 and 2022 respectively. The lean period of the community was reduced from five months to four months. The uptake of agroecological practices such as intercropping with legumes in the community still has challenges as there are still issues in accessing legume seed.
One woman shared that ever since she joined the programme , participating in different activities especially cooking demonstrations has helped her household’s nutrition status to improve. “ There are crops like cowpea that never used to enjoy eating untill after I visited my relative from another village and saw how well she had prepared it. When I came back, I learnt the same thing from the cooking demontrations that were conducted here. I never knew I would enjoy cowpea untill I learnt other cooking methods that improve the taste of foods that we didn’t like consuming,” Selina Mbofana
Moja ya kazi muhimu katika usimamizi wa mradi ni kupima maendeleo ya mradi; katika kufanya hivyo, zana tofauti hutumiwa kutathmini miradi. Mipango ya Utafiti wa Jamii ni moja ya njia za msingi za CTA na CTA za kuamua na kuamua matokeo ya mradi. Katika kipindi cha miaka minne iliyopita, Shirika la Usalama wa Wananchi la Uganda (CTD) limekuwa likifanya kazi ya kuchora ramani ya jamii katika kijiji cha Machavika cha wilaya ya Chirundu. Mpangilio huo unakusudia kutathmini viwango vya kupitishwa kwa jamii kwa mbegu za jadi, mazoea ya kilimo na kupima utofauti wa lishe ili kupima maendeleo ya usalama wa chakula na lishe ndani ya jamii. Mpangilio huo unaunda jukwaa la kutafakari juu ya usalama wa chakula na lishe ya jamii na matumaini ya kubadilisha mawazo na mazoea ambayo yangesababisha usalama wa chakula na lishe. Mkakati huo ni wa ushiriki na jamii kuchukua jukumu la kuongoza katika kutafakari mazungumzo ya kutafakari kati yao juu ya masuala yanayohusiana na chakula na lishe kwa kuzingatia michakato mingine na makubaliano yaliyofanywa. Katika siku ya kwanza, kikundi kidogo cha wanachama 30 wa jamii huchunguza ramani ya jamii, utofauti wa chakula na utofauti wa mazao ambayo huwasilishwa kwa jamii nzima siku inayofuata. Siku ya pili ya mkutano inahudhuriwa na kijiji chote ili kuthibitisha matokeo ya vikundi vidogo ambavyo vilikuwa vimekusanyika siku iliyotangulia. Katika mchakato huo, jamii huendeleza mpango wa hatua kwa mwaka uliofuata ili kuboresha maeneo ambayo wamegundua kuwa yanachelewa. Katika mchakato wa ukaguzi wa 2022, matokeo ya kijiji cha Machavika yalionyesha maboresho katika usalama wake wa chakula na lishe. Jamii sasa inathamini mazoea ya kilimo kwa sababu ya ushahidi ulioonekana kutoka kwa wale wanaofanya hivyo ikilinganishwa na miaka ya awali. Matukio ya utapiamlo yamepungua kwa kasi, ambayo ni hasa kutokana na kuwa na aina mbalimbali za vyakula kutoka makundi yote saba ya vyakula. Idadi ya watu wanaotumia vyakula vya aina zote saba za vyakula imeongezeka kwa mujibu wa uchunguzi uliofanywa kwa muda wa saa 24. Idadi ya familia zilizo na chakula cha kutosha mwaka mzima iliongezeka kutoka 15 kati ya 164 hadi 60 kati ya 176 ya familia zilizopatikana mnamo 2021 na 2022. Kipindi cha ukosefu wa chakula cha jamii kilipunguzwa kutoka miezi mitano hadi miezi minne. Utekelezaji wa mbinu za kilimo kama vile kupanda kwa mimea ya mboga katika jamii bado una changamoto kwani bado kuna masuala katika kupata mbegu za mboga. Mwanamke mmoja alishiriki kwamba tangu alipojiunga na programu hiyo, kushiriki katika shughuli tofauti hasa maonyesho ya kupika kumesaidia hali ya lishe ya nyumba yake kuboresha.  Kuna mazao kama vile cowpea ambayo sikuwahi kufurahia kula mpaka baada ya mimi kutembelea jamaa yangu kutoka kijiji kingine na kuona jinsi vizuri alikuwa tayari. Niliporudi, nilijifunza jambo hilohilo kutokana na maonyesho ya kupika yaliyokuwa yakifanywa hapa. Sikujua kamwe ningefurahia maharagwe ya ng'ombe mpaka nilijifunza mbinu nyingine za kupika ambazo zinaboresha ladha ya vyakula ambavyo hatukufurahia kula, <unk> Selina Mbofana