MAMAH - About

Welcome To Mothers Against Malnutrition and Hunger (MAMAH)

Mothers Against Malnutrition and Hunger (MAMAH) is a women-led initiative dedicated to fighting malnutrition, hunger, and poverty among vulnerable communities in Uganda. The organization was founded from a personal journey of overcoming food insecurity and financial struggles, with the aim of helping other families access nutritious food and create sustainable livelihoods.

MAMAH focuses on improving food and nutrition security, especially for women and children, by providing training on better food production, preparation, and preservation methods. The organization also empowers women economically by supporting them in starting income-generating activities. Additionally, MAMAH runs a school lunch program that enhances the nutritional value of meals for school-going children.

Through partnerships with various organizations, MAMAH has introduced innovative solutions like insect farming for food and animal feed, mushroom farming, and meal fortification programs. The organization also works with refugee communities to improve their incomes and food security. With its headquarters in Mityana district, Uganda, MAMAH continues to impact many lives by promoting better nutrition, sustainable farming, and economic empowerment for women.

Our Target Groups

We work with vulnerable groups such as women, children under 5 years, school children, refugees, and People Living With HIV & AIDS.

Our Story

Violet (Founder and Chief Executive Officer)

MAMAH is a result of a long, challenging but rewarding journey. My husband and I are proud parents of three lovely boys Philip, Abraham and Jesse.

By the time we had our second child we were in some financial challenges exacerbated by the costly city life in Kampala where we both worked – but as parents, one of the most difficult challenges was dealing with the very low appetite of our sons, whose condition the paediatrician said would be improved by frequently providing their choice foods i.e. chicken, fish and fresh fruits. A number of attempts on this proved very much working but came at high cost that our financial status could not support, it was just unsustainable.

My husband agreed to go and start cultivating our plot in the village, approximately 70kms west of Kampala. I later joined him on the weekend trips to our new farm. We started with three hens, and about four mango trees, bananas, pineapples and oranges. Our hens laid eggs, multiplied in number but were stolen or died. We started piggery but they later all died. Pineapples failed as also bananas. Rain failures, pests, diseases, poor soil fertility and expensive fertilizers and other inputs, sometimes sheer ignorance on our part, and theft made farming nearly impossible. The venture soon became a source of stress and anger. Family and friends alike tried to dissuade us from the venture calling it a black hole that would only make us poorer. Being a medical doctor who had managed malnourished children during my internship at the National Referral Hospital, I needed no convincing that proper feeding is the basis for our children’s future, and it had to be sustained.

Pineapples failed as also bananas. Rain failures, pests, diseases, poor soil fertility and expensive fertilizers and other inputs, sometimes sheer ignorance on our part, and theft made farming nearly impossible. The venture soon became a source of stress and anger. Family and friends alike tried to dissuade us from the venture calling it a black hole that would only make us poorer. Being a medical doctor who had managed malnourished children during my internship at the National Referral Hospital, I needed no convincing that proper feeding is the basis for our children’s future, and it had to be sustained.

We persisted through trial and error, usually failed and started all over again; we visited other farmers and read a lot of literature about farming. We decided to intensify, diversify and integrate and above all adopt more environmentally friendly practices. Bobo Eco Farm was born. We now have rabbits, chicken, turkeys – all healthy sources of protein with lower levels of cholesterol, & mangoes, mushrooms, pumpkins, etc.

I started processing simsim /groundnuts into a peanut butter paste at my home; it soon became a delicacy for our children. Children from our close family members liked it too.

They started making orders with me. What used to give me pain and anger is now a source of laughter, contentment and accomplishment!

How else could we have celebrated such success than open our gates to others to learn so that they can also have the opportunity to succeed! I know many families are struggling the same way we used to.

I imagine very few women are aware that something like this can be achieved, or have the tenacity to begin, or the courage and inspiration to stay the course in the face of the manifold challenges.

Coming together to solve common challenges as mothers we find identity, courage and purpose in life. MAMAH was born of the hope and desire that together we may share in life and ‘be more’.