I have had a number of communications with Thomas recently. He is going to send me an updated report following significant numbers of trainings in both Foundations for Farming and Trauma and Healing in the refugee camps in northern Uganda, and also more locally in Kamuli and on Buvuma Island in Lake Victoria. However, the reports and photos that I have received to date are very encouraging.
Both Thomas and Joyce have struggled with health issues at various times recently. They were sick with salmonella over Easter, and they have also struggled with malaria and typhoid over recent months. Joyce has also been having significant pain in her legs, and Thomas has ongoing issues with his previous back ailment. Both have also continued to experience a lot of trauma following the loss of their son Taban which has been reported on previously. We were able to support them to have a healing retreat late last year, which was helpful in this area. Because Thomas is also involved in Trauma and Healing workshops and training, he does have some insight into the issues although he has said to me that he never fully understood the depth of pain and suffering that people can go through, until they encountered the brutal murder of their son.
They have also suffered another significant bereavement, which has affected them deeply. They brought up a young woman during the early years of their marriage, who subsequently had a child which, it would appear, has recently been murdered by poisoning.
ActivitiesOur productive discussions have covered all aspects of Thomas and Joyce’s ministry, including the vocational training programme for South Sudanese and Ugandan young people (UGA04c), the Jinja microfinance programme (UGA04b), Foundations for Farming training (UGA08) and the Trauma and Healing workshops (UGA04f) that Thomas has been extensively engaged in with Bright Hope World’s support which have been reported on under their separate project codes.
Thomas and Joyce are quite concerned about getting older and retirement and the fact that they do not have much behind them, and no secure income. Thomas would like to develop an agricultural business, growing sugarcane, which he tells me is extremely profitable. He has asked whether BHW might facilitate a loan of US$6,000. He says it is a very good business and he is able to provide a budget for that. The amount he would like to borrow covers the rent and overheads for six years, and in that time there would be three to four harvests and a significant profit. US$6,000 would enable the growing of sugarcane on 10 acres. He would propose to do this in the Kamuli area. He has an uncle there and people available to support him and work with him, although this has not worked out well for him in the past.
I have asked him whether he might be able to arrange borrowing through a bank against the security of their home. He said because they do not have secure and regular income, therefore they are not good lending risks and not able to borrow. (He explored this after I asked him to.)
At present my plans are to visit Uganda in the first half of 2025 and we are looking at the possibility of running a further training seminar possibly on table banking in or around Jinja or Mukono. That would give us an opportunity to connect with a large number of our partners, and also to be able to obtain some reports, without necessarily having to travel all over the country.