Our Emergency Relief Plan: Responding to the Drought

February 2026: Gloria Turinawe's garden in Uganda before the drought

In response to the severe drought that lasted for several months, ACT Uganda developed a one-time emergency food relief plan.

The ACT HANDS team secured funding through existing Allen Foundation funds. The plan called for one month of maize flour, beans, rice, and salt for 158 vulnerable households in Rubanda District—approximately 790 people. It was designed to reach families at heightened risk, including households with children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with disabilities.

The response was designed to help families bridge the difficult period before another harvest.

Rain returned to the Muko area in mid-September. This was welcome news after crop failures and water shortages had put families’ food supplies and farm income under pressure.

The return of rain was encouraging, but it did not immediately replace the food or income lost during the drought.

Agricultural work also continued where conditions allowed. Although drought prevented new permagarden training, the Uganda agriculture team visited participants from the spring iron-rich bean training group and collected 60 kilograms of bean seed from 70 farmers with successful crops. The sixth phase of mushroom growing also began, with 100 mushroom gardens inoculated.

We are grateful to our Uganda team, participating farmers, and the Allen Foundation for supporting this work. Follow ACT’s updates at actuganda.org as we share further news from the community.