Annually over 100,000 people lose their lives to non communicable diseases, which is estimated to be 35% of the total annual deaths occurring in the country.Focusing on prevention through creating awareness of the risk factors and advising people to adjust their lifestyle eating habits which has created the need to hold the first of it's kind " Vegan Food Festival" in Uganda.

Vegan dietary habits are gaining more and more fans in the world over and a number of similar food festivals have been staged else where; they have attracted thousands of revelers. I believe this is evidence that, globally, more people are appreciating this life style. The aim of this festival is to introduce this Plant based diet to Ugandans, thus avoiding all animal foods such as meat and dairy products, among others. A vegan diet is richly diverse and comprises all kinds of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds, been and pulses, all of which can be prepared in endless combinations that ensure no one is ever bored with his or her meals.

This festival will continue to provide a large scale event that allows vegans to celebrate in an atmosphere of music, cooking, and unleashing the best vegan products. However, the festival will also recognize and address issues that impact upon animal welfare, human health and the environment. What motivated me to organize this event is that there is limited information about Vegetarianism in Uganda, yet research has linked vegan diets to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, lower rates of heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer which are currently so common among Ugandans.

Vegans are humans who avoid exploiting animals for any purpose with compassion being a key driver, "Going Vegan" is a great opportunity to learn more about nutrition and diet. By making smart choices about food stuffs, a vegan diet can be a very healthy way of eating. Vegans also tend to limit their salt intake and they eat plenty of vegetarian food.