Prof. Archileo N. Kaaya
Head, Dept. of Food Technology & Nutrition
College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
Makerere University, Kampala-Uganda

‍

The nutritional counsel they are promoting is applicable and highly relevant to the poor of our beloved country of Uganda and even the whole region of East Africa…. By educating and mobilizing the staff of FARM STEW and their partners, the impact of the organization is growing in both reputation and fame… I personally have reviewed the curriculum of FARM STEW and have encouraged them to press on, seeking to share what they are teaching with all levels of the Ugandan Ministries of Health and Agriculture…. I pledge my support to advance FARM STEW projects in the district and I will seek to leverage local, national and international funding to support the work as I can see that it is advancing the goals of Makerere University and other international agencies.

Read the full letter of recommendation
‍

‍

Kim Busl, the OCI Field Vice President for Africa

“They put on the most simple and yet comprehensive “cooking school” that I have ever seen. Surrounded by 50 to 75 adults, plus children, on an open fire with the pots balancing on three stones, they make very nutritional and tasty dishes from locally grown food.”

“At the end, all the food is cooked and everybody present eats. Additionally, they teach hygiene and health related principles. Each of the team members is interesting, animated and knowledgeable. They interact and engage the people in a way I’ve not seen before. It was a first class bush level presentation.”
‍

‍

Edwin Designer, MPH, formerly with ADRA Sudan

FARM STEW has a number of interventions that they are promoting in their community outreach.  They are encouraging farmers and others to grow soybeans; distributing vegetable starts; providing trainings for making soy milk, tofu, using a “rainbow” (vegetables of different colors), using green breadfruit as a meat-like dish, and more; distributing re-usable sanitary pads to school girls; and overseeing over 40 savings groups.
During our time with the FARM STEW team, we were able to observe 4 different nutrition demonstrations in which each audience was taught two or more of the dishes mentioned above... I was very impressed by these demonstrations.  The trainings are very practical and appropriate to the setting.  The materials and methods used are those used by, and/or available to, the audience.  They are also very participatory.  Members of the audience are solicited to contribute knives and pots, to haul water, to dice the vegetables for the “rainbow”…  Sometimes a volunteer is asked to recap for the others what has just been taught.  As the teaching is done, stories and illustrations are used and many additional practical points are made relating to the rest of life, to relationships and to spirituality.  Audiences are all clearly engaged.
I believe that FARM STEW has tremendous potential to do work with local churches to educate members for their betterment, and their extended family and neighbors.