Editing The Hunger Project (section)

===Methods and impact on food security in Uganda===

In Uganda, The Hunger Project (THP) employs measures to facilitate the mobilization and growth of capital, as well as creating partnerships to alleviate food and health issues.

In 2009, THP-Uganda implemented the Microfinance program to improve food security and reduce poverty.<ref>{{cite web|title=Microfinance in Uganda|url=http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/20/21/35481055.pdf|publisher=L&R Social Research|access-date=24 February 2012|author=Andy Carlton|author2=Hannes Manndorff |author3=Andrew Obara |author4=Walter Reiter |author5=Elisabeth Rhyne |page=9}}</ref> The Microfinance program is a training, savings, and credit program; enabling the targeted poor who traditionally lack access to banking and related services to get small loans with the purpose of engaging in income-generating activities.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Role of Finance in the  Socio-Economic Development of WOmen in a Community: A Case Study of Mpigi Town Council in Uganda|url=http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/4879/dissertation_luyirika_mn.pdf?sequence=1|work=Development Studies|access-date=24 February 2012|author=Martha Nakakuta Luyirika|page=10}}</ref>

The program consists of two phases: Direct Credit and Rural Bank.<ref name=Micro>{{cite web|title=Microfinance Program: How It Works|url=http://www.thp.org/what_we_do/key_initiatives/microfinance/how_it_works|access-date=24 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111213065659/http://www.thp.org/what_we_do/key_initiatives/microfinance/how_it_works|archive-date=13 December 2011}}</ref>

A Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) of about US$20,000 is allocated to a center, with the center's community electing its own people into the loan committee to manage the RLF. The funds go through a cycle of disbursement to the community, repayment of the loans from community members, and disbursement again. Through this process, the funds grow via accumulated interest.<ref name=Micro />

After 4 to 5 years into the Direct Credit phase, if the microfinance operation in the community meets the level of criteria set by the government, the operation can apply to evolve into a savings and credit cooperative (Rural bank). All members of the community may deposit savings and access credit from the Rural Bank. The THP stops giving assistance to the Rural Bank when it becomes operationally self-sufficient in the next 2 years.<ref name=Micro />

The Rural Bank is able to mobilise the community's wealth to create more wealth, as well as meeting its aim of providing the community with sustainable access to savings and credit facilities . In practice, the program saw success as THP's Iganga Epicenter Rural Bank in Uganda was named the "Best SACCO (Savings and Credit Cooperative) of 2009" by the District Commercial Office of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry.<ref>{{cite web|title=Microfinance Program in Africa|url=http://www.thp.org/what_we_do/key_initiatives/microfinance/overview|access-date=24 February 2012}}</ref>

THP's contributions to the whole operation include the gifting of RLF to start the whole process, payment of the Rural bank manager's salary for the first 2 years to secure full compliance, and assistance in the preparation of reports for the appropriate government office. The organization hopes to again achieve an end of world hunger by 2030. production is greatly constrained by pests and diseases, especially the African [[cassava mosaic virus]]. The partnership enabled the education of Ugandan farmers through grants of laptops with inbuilt training courses on group management, cassava multiplication, pests and diseases. Farmers were also taught on and given access to disease-free high-yielding cassava variety MH97/2961. This arrangement has improved household incomes and food security for a total of 1,455 partners in the last three years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thp.org/learn_more/news/latest_news/achieving_more_through_strategic_partnerships_in_uganda |title=Achieving More through Strategic Partnerships in Uganda &#124; The Hunger Project |publisher=Thp.org |date=2011-03-30 |access-date=2012-12-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405164709/http://www.thp.org/learn_more/news/latest_news/achieving_more_through_strategic_partnerships_in_uganda |archive-date=2013-04-05 }}</ref>