Haba Na Haba Food Bank has launched the second phase of a food distribution drive that will see beneficiaries receive food to last them a month.
It has again partnered with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) under its ‘100 Million Meals’ global campaign and the United Arab Emirates embassy in Kampala plus the Food Banking Regional Network (FBRN) from the Middle East.
“We are grateful to our partners for helping us feed more vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Uganda in these tough times, worsened by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The beneficiaries include low-income families and individuals, orphans, widows and refugees,” said Mrs Jessica Bagenda, a cofounder and director of Haba Na Haba Food Bank, at the launch of the second drive in Luzira, Kampala today.
The Haba Na Haba Food Bank was established in 2015 with the aim of rescuing fresh food from mainly markets and distributing it to vulnerable communities.
It wishes to establish food banks across Uganda as a food safety net which can minimize cases of hunger and therefore empower families and individuals, providing them a chance to a dignified life.
At least 1.25 million meals (125, 000 kilograms of food items) were donated to various vulnerable families and groups in areas of Kampala, Kiira, Najeera, Wakiso, Mukono and Jinja, in the first drive between June 1, 2020 and June 21, 2021.
Each parcel, which can feed a family of five individuals for at least a month, contains 5kg of rice, 5kg of beans, 5kgs of maize flour, 2kgs of wheat flour, 2kgs of sugar, 3 litres of milk and 1 litre of cooking oil.
H.E. Abdullah Hassan Obaid Al Shamsi, the UAE ambassador to Uganda praised the humanitarian spirit of the donors and called for more support to vulnerable communities. He hoped the collaboration between the UAE and Uganda would continue; further strengthening relations between the two countries.
Dr Moez El Shohdi, founder and CEO of FBRN noted that such a humanitarian campaign at a time when many were battling hunger and the pandemic was very crucial. With food support, the vulnerable would find some hope and a sense of security during the tough times.
Since 2017, the Haba Na Haba Food Bank has rescued over 325, 000 kilograms of unsold fresh food (worth over UGX 1 billion) from various markets including Nakasero, Owino, Wandegeya, Kalerwe, Nakawa, Natete, Kireka and Mukono and then delivered it to the needy through like-minded NGOs including Dwelling Places, Agaliawamu and Eseeza Cancer Home amongst others.
The Food Banking Regional Network (FBRN) was established in 2013, as a nonprofit umbrella organization for food banks in the Middle East, with the main focus of alleviating hunger, fighting malnutrition and managing food waste.
It is this consistent track record that has attracted partnerships from the MBRGI, the FBRN, the UAE embassy and other stakeholders involved with humanitarian relief.
MBRGI was established in 2015, combining under its umbrella over 30 humanitarian and developmental initiatives and entities, most of which have been launched and supported by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The Foundation’s humanitarian, social and development initiatives and entities are primarily devoted to supporting and empowering vulnerable and disadvantaged communities around the world.
“We call upon all leaders to also join us and establish community food banks in their localities because a lot of fresh food is thrown away yet many people are still going hungry every day. This is in line with our name that comes from the Swahili proverb, ‘haba na haba hujaze kibaba’ which means ‘little by little the pot is filled’,” said Mrs Bagenda.