Five deep in the backseat I unpack myself slowly from the musty station wagon taxi cab, grab my bags and walk towards the gates of the Sipi Falls River Lodge in southeastern Uganda. Some three months later, the Gulu leg of my journey is finished. The few days ahead will offer time to rest, reflect, write and prepare as I travel home to Georgia on Thursday. After my colleague at Freedom in Creation, Andrew Briggs’ departure in March I spent the next two months working with local leaders to design and implement a model farm in the Koro Abili community of northeast Uganda. In three months we were able to accomplish the following in this order:
• Clearing and fencing a 4.5 acre piece of brushy land
• Constructing two thatched roof huts, finished with grey mud smearing
• Drilling one deep well borehole
• A three-stall latrine and bathhouse
• Clearing and double plowing 3 acres ready for planting
• An 8 stall piggery complete with 10x30 grain/tool storage unit
• Clearing, digging and planting 135 banana trees intercropped with pineapple and yellow beans
• Digging holes and planting 155 trees (lucaena, calliandra, African mahogany, grevillea robusta, niem, sambia, acacia, oranges, mangos, avacados, jack fruit)
• 1 volleyball court
• 1 acre intercropped maize and beans,
• Half acre orange-fleshed sweet potato, white, red and Irish potato
• 1 acre soy bean
• ½ acre assorted vegetables (sunflower, onion, carrot, tomato, eggplant, cabbage and dodo)
• 1 hedge row of 50 grevillea trees
• .10 acre orange orchard intercropped with yellow bean
• Two gates, one steel and one wood.
• Hiring two full-time farm assistants and one full time program manager
• Established management plan including program budgeting and evaluation methods
At our final gathering on Sunday the parents gathered around to hear from our leaders about the intention of the project in relation to their children. All were in support. As I looked on I saw many grandparents, older women in their traditional dresses settled comfortably on papyrus matts, who were now the sole caretakers of orphaned children. Peter, my friend from Gulu, commented that for many of these older parents projects like this offered a sense of optimism and relief for a successful future for their children. After a time for feedback, I was offered the last word as the project director and resident mazungu. I told them my story. How I learned about Freedom in Creation. Why I was there and what our intention was for the project. The purpose of our farm is to: 1) create a local source of long-term revenue for our program. 2) serve as a model for best practices and extension in row crops, pig and poultry production to our children and area farmers. 3) offer a means by which to build community capacity through micro-enterprise development, intercultural exchange, education and training. After more than three months of haggling over paid day wages and concrete prices amongst 14% inflation I wanted to be frank. This project would not be handing anything out. It was a business. And in northern Uganda, if done properly, farming could be lucrative. With one of the highest population rates in east Africa the demand for food, fiber and fuel was well established. For example, in the Gulu market you couldn’t find pork past 10am. By our calculations the return on investment for the piggery would be somewhere around 2-3 years. Our banana patch should net 1.5 million shillings after 14 months and our soy and maize yields will shield us from high dry season prices, while our orange-fleshed sweet potato provides a rich source of vitamin A for our children. The opportunities exist and with organization, some small working capital and determination anything is possible. This was our example. We’ll build from here, with both challenges and triumphs.
In exhilaration watching Nigeria topple Argentina in soccer, the guy at my table sprays me with water jostling me from my blogging daze. Since January, I’ve traveled to more than seven countries, spending four months in Africa. This continent has taught me so much. In brief, it has taught me about the strength of women in society, the delicate interface between humans and wildlife and the daily struggle against poverty and political injustice. It has certainly been an eventful time to lay my head on the mother continent. Whether reading the Daily Monitor, The Independent or watching Al Jazeera, my perspective of politics, news and current events has, for at least the past few months been… African.
Witnessing the events of Egypt, Libya and other northern African countries had spurred a “Walk to Work” campaign in Uganda. Led by former political presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye, people were walking to protest the high fuel and food prices, which president Yoweri Musevini’s government had done seemingly little to address. These demonstrations were violently put down by acts of force by police and the president’s personal thugs. One day, on my way home from work I notice more traffic than usual as I approached Gulu town on my motorcycle. Thinking nothing of it, I turned left to avoid the main street. After cutting down a side street I noticed the streets littered with stones and tires. Approaching the next intersection I quickly realized that to my left was a crowd of running protesters and to my right, a police battalion dressed in riot gear pushing steadily forward. One officer looked me squarely yelling, “ Muzungu, you go, they’re going to kill you.” As you can imagine this quickly sparked my retreat. I turned right approaching the main street roundabout. The streets were barricaded and as I quickly descended I felt a sharp burning in my eyes. I had drove through a cloud of tear gas. After arriving safely at a nearby hotel. I weathered the storm until my friend Peter arrived. Throughout the evening, tear gas cannons and shouting could be overheard. In Kampala, four people had died. Not since 2004 and the political coups of Quito, Ecuador had I experienced protests of this nature. People attempting to walk peacefully in protest of government were forcefully put down in what in recent years was touted as an East African democratic success story. In light of other events this one continues, barely making the African section of most major newspapers.
Corruption and a 30-year rule of another African big man puts Uganda precipitously perched on the brink of societal unrest. In this case the Ugandan military stands firmly planted at Museveni’s side. Change by mass uprising would result in great bloodshed. The likely scenario is the same as before, a reluctant wait for the next elections (2016) and hope for change. Listening to the frustrations of my Ugandan friends; smart, energetic and motivated individuals distraught with their country, the corruption and their seemingly inability to create a more desirable future dampers my own optimism. I can only stand by them hoping that this cycle of disparity is soon broken. The realization of this struggle is a lesson not soon forgotten. It is one being played out throughout the world in all degrees of intensity.
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