The Mango Project…
…is a development partnership in the West Nile region of Uganda, Africa. The aim of the project is to fight against malnutrition and empower local families by establishing a village to village mango preservation business. Read our story below.
Walking through Northern Uganda during mango season is an amazing experience. Thousands of mangos hang from the trees and are picked for eating at just the right time. Children are covered head to toe in the sweet mango juice, and elders describe the increased health and decreased illnesses during mango season. Sadly, the mango season only lasts for 6 weeks out of the entire year.
Micah and Avrey Hughes and Mao Emmanuel, Founders of The Mango Project
Without any means to preserve this valued produce, the majority of the fruit is lost either to animals or by simply rotting on the ground. This is particularly problematic since malnutrition and hunger is acute in this part of the world.
This is where the Mango Project was born. It was a profound, yet simple idea that was born under the shade of a mango tree through conversations with village elders and leaders. Preserving mangos allows nutrition to be available not as a hand out, but as a rural business that sells nutrition twelve months a year. Through mango preservation there is a new hope in rural Uganda. Hope for sustainable nutrition, hope for community empowerment, and hope for economic growth.