Kampala — About 500 pupils in Moroto district have started benefiting from a vegetable project initiated by the office of the prime minister.

The project funded by the European Union aims at improving Karimojong families by enhancing their livelihoods.

Booker Ajuoga, the public relations officer Adventist Development Relief Agency, Uganda (ADRA), says it is sad to see mothers in Moroto in the bushes looking for wild fruits and leaves to prepare their meals.

"This business of people conflicting with snakes in the bushes should be abandoned so that the communities can take up the planting of vegetables around boreholes," he says.

John Robert Lochoru, 15, a pupil of Kalatom Primary School, says the project has enabled him maintain himself at school. "I buy exercise books and pens for myself and also maintain my young brothers at home."

He says he harvests greens worth sh12,000 every 21 days and sells them in two days at his home trading centre in Kangole.

Lochoru plans to buy a mountain bike and good clothes from his next harvest's profit.

Some of the schools involved in the growing of vegetables to enhance livelihoods for children include, Kalotom, Kalokengel, Lotome Girls and Loopei. All the institutions are in Bokora County in Moroto district.

Ajuoga says vegetable growing around the boreholes was initiated to maintain water sources under Karamoja livelihood enhancement project.

ADRA-Denmark, the European Union beneficiary has partnered with Northern Uganda Rehabilitation Project under the office of the prime minister to improve the livelihoods of the people of Karamoja through ADRA-Uganda the local implementer.

He says the only means of keeping water sources maintained in Karamoja is by creating an activity.

Booker says the pupils were also contributing 5% of their income to water user committees to avoid break down of boreholes. He adds that the parents had also borrowed the idea from their sons and daughters in vegetable growing.

"The search for wild fruits and leaves will reduce gradually since most women have started growing vegetables around water sources in the villages," Ajuoga says.

State minister for Karamoja Affairs, Ms Janet Museveni commended the project during her tour of the vegetable plots at Kalotom Primary school.