Uganda: Village to Village

We have had an amazing week in Uganda! But my great plan to post all about it on the blog has not been so successful; we have had limited access to internet and without VPN's, no access to Facebook in Uganda. But we have been making the most of every opportunity which was far more important. I am now off to Tanzania and with a brief moment of power and internet access, I wanted to post a brief hello! I am on my way to Mwanza, leaving Tim who will stay in Uganda for another week. 

We have seen so many wonderful people visiting community groups in villages around Masindi and Gulu, and heard so many stories, it is impossible to know where to start! 

After meeting the current students (who arrived only a month ago) at Kira Farm, where the vocational training centre is, it was was really lovely to meet with previous trainees as we passed through villages in the northern regions of Uganda. The change in these young people is incredible and their testimony coming out of terrible pain and hardship is inspirational. They are now in their home villages again, and are bringing the same transformation they experienced to their communities. 

Winnie, for example has become a seamstress and has returned to her village and set up her own tailoring business in a rented space. She is now training another young girl how to sew and seeking to buy a second machine. 

Jimmy's is quite a long, traumatic story which I won't go into here. He and his family are not able to live in their home village and have struggled for many years. But now, after returning with farming skills and savings from his training and following internship at Kira Farm, he has been able to purchase land to farm and set up a pig project and is now supporting his mum, grandma and sisters. He and Winnie have started to bring young people together for a Sunday service each week. 

Jimmy (centre) with Amigos leaders Godwin and Joshua

Robert is the father of one of the boys currently in the Kira trainee program. He is in the conservation agriculture group. Not long ago, as he was working with some machinery, his entire hand was severed. This cheerful, gracious man welcomed us to his village on the edge of Murchison Falls National Park and is excited to be part of a new beekeeping group which I will have to tell you about next time!

Finally for now, it was wonderful on Sunday to be with the church in Kinene village. So much exhuberant worship under a shea nut tree! There was much singing and dancing, preaching and testimonies and prayer. And a farming meeting followed the service with a report on the conservation agriculture and water projects ... followed by a visit to the boreholes. This was followed by a delicious lunch cooked by the women. They have given me seeds to plant the delicious vegetable we ate as well as sim sim seeds and groundnuts. We really enjoyed engaging in cooking conversation in our stilted English/Acholi/sign language! 

The Amigos team is doing an amazing job overseeing the training at Kira Farm and the community development across the northern regions of Uganda. It was such a privilege to see all they are doing and we have had so many good conversations about moving forward!