Update from BHW Uganda Partnership Facilitator

Recent Events

Overview

The 2025 projects cover Foundations for Farming in the refugee camps set out below, vocational training (UGA04c), and the microloan programme in Koboko (UGA04e). These projects were approved for support by BHW for the 2025 year ending December 2025. In addition to the programs which Thomas initially set up for Foundations for Farming training, he has also carried out a training in Yei in South Sudan and is looking at expanding that in that city and also in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. He has identified that there are areas around both of those cities where Foundations for Farming could be practised and there is a relative degree of safety, notwithstanding that the country is engulfed in civil war.

The projects are designed for sustainable livelihoods among refugee communities who have had to flee to refugee camps in Uganda and who farm on hired land obtained from the host communities. About 30% of the local communities also benefit in the project. The projects aim at transforming the livelihoods of refugees and locals by enabling them to use farming practices that boost their production towards self-sustainability in terms of food and income. 

In South Sudan there is a real question as to the degree of safety for people who are undertaking farming distant from urban centres. I understand that the people who are being trained in Yei largely have access to their own land. Thomas has told me that there is a safety buffer around Yei and Juba where it is safe for farming to take place.  

Current Situation

Bright Hope World has given Thomas a figure for Foundations for Farming training within which he has to work this year. He has kept to that, notwithstanding that he has utilised some of the funds for training in South Sudan. He does have flexibility to determine exactly how the funds are to be allocated between the various aspects of the work that he is carrying out. The implementation of the various projects is ongoing as intended. Thomas has embarked on engaging new members but is aiming to keep within the targeted number of beneficiaries per project in a particular area. Some areas had the training shifted to other parts due to a lack of uptake from previous trainings such as Kamuli, Buvuma, and due to personal risks of insecurity as with Kiradongo and Palabek districts (Thomas has a significant personal safety risk in these areas because of tribal associations between the locals and the murderer of Thomas’ son). 

Foundations for Farming Trainings

So far this year the following trainings have taken place:

Bidi Bidi, Yumbe - 30 refugees
Yoyo, Yumbe - 30 refugees
Rhino, Arua - 30 refugees
Imvepi, Terego - 30 refugees
Lobule, Koboko - 30 refugees
Palorinya, Obongi/Moyo - 30 refugees
Pagerinya, Adjumani - 30 refugees
Kiradongo, Kiradongo - training taken to Namutumba
Palabek, Kitgum- training taken to Namutumba
Nawanyago/Bukono, Kamuli/Namutumba - 65 people
Buvuma - training taken to Yei
Yei, Yei-County - 50 returnees

Trauma Counselling Training

This has largely been carried out in conjunction with Foundations for Farming training as livelihood and survival support is vital as well as healing from trauma.

Trauma training was conducted in Adjumani (this is a refugee camp in Northern Uganda) with 30 participants consisting of refugees, church leaders, youth representatives, women refugees and orphanages serving self-settled refugees in Adjumani. The participants were grateful: some having received trauma training and input for the first time.

They confessed it has given them hope and they presented many testimonies and experiences of their own that required trauma healing and counselling.

Partnership's Influence within the Community

I will not be able to fully assess this until I visit later this year. 

Ideas for the Future

In addition to the above information, Thomas has also provided me with the photographs in relation to Foundations for Farming training that has been carried out by colleagues in Yei in South Sudan recently. He is wanting to expand this training to Juba and other areas of South Sudan. I am having ongoing communication with him about this but I have to say that the photographs are really encouraging as it is clear that the training is producing results. 

I would not like to see this possibility simply put on hold and will do my best to ensure that there is some form of meeting, even by electronic means, over the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, I think we can be grateful for Thomas’s determination to bless his own people in South Sudan and see the expansion of Foundations for Farming, something about which he is very passionate.

Current Issues and Challenges

There are some difficulties in relation to connecting with potential trainers. Some of these are geographical and some of them are language barriers, and communication issues. 

Prayer and Praise Points

1) That Thomas has been so diligent in carrying out the trainings. Not only has he been carrying out Foundations for Farming training, but also as far as has been able to and budget permits, trauma healing workshops. This is really impressive. 

2) For ongoing justice and resolution in relation to the murder of Emmanuel, their son. This is an ongoing issue with the alleged murderer being held in custody but it being very difficult to progress the trial. 

3) For widespread uptake of Foundations for Farming principles. The potential to multiply the effectiveness of this training in the refugee camps is unlimited. I do not think that we, in the western world, can fully grasp the size of some of these refugee camps as they are among the largest in the world. Unfortunately, the ongoing conflicts in South Sudan and the Congo are largely unnoticed and unreported on in the world. Both of these conflicts are creating enormous numbers of traumatised people, who will need to be given hope and the ability to survive.