UNNGOF launches the “Kyolya Kyoli” Nutrition Song
NGOs spearheaded by UNNGOF with support from the Southern Africa Trust were running a campaign over the last two years to champion increased investment for nutrition interventions in Uganda. We also hoped that through this campaign we would build momentum for the passing of the Food and Nutrition Bill that has been shelved since 2009.
Malnutrition still ravages the country and affects millions of Ugandans in various ways, but it is particularly devastating to women, babies, and children. Research shows that among children below 5 years of age 33 percent are too short for their age (stunted) while 49 percent are anaemic and 4 out of 10 children less than 5 years are vitamin A deficient. As a result of this GoU spends close to 1.8 trillion UGX annually which is equivalent to 5.6% of GDP.
One of the advocacy strategies to highlight nutritional challenges in Uganda was to commission artists to compose a popular song that would reach out to millions of Ugandans. To this end Grace NAKIMERA and Santana have composed a song titled Kyolya Kyoli that is rallying Ugandans to embrace good nutrition habits.
As a result, engagement with government and widespread media coverage has effectively raised public interest in addressing nutrition, leading to statements by government ministers on the need for a comprehensive food and nutrition policy and legal framework.
Nutrition issues are increasingly becoming part of the development policy agenda both at sub national and national level.
Hitherto nutrition issues were considered peripheral but the unprecedented coverage of nutrition issues in Uganda’s media spaces is a testimony of power of the media in building public support, shaping public opinion and creating a receptive environment for influencing policy.
The initiative stimulated CSO partners’ interest in nutrition campaign, a case in point is the 2013 Bushenyi Nutrition Marathon (held annually) that was organized by Bushenyi District Local Government and CSOs to raise awareness on good feeding practices in the district.
There are efforts to review the Food and Nutrition Policy to bring it in tandem with developments in the nutrition landscape as a result of the numerous engagements with policy makers.
