Progress on both sides of the world

Hello friends!

Can you believe it is already August? The summer is flying by and we are excited by all of the progress that is happening on BOTH sides of the world- the incredible work being done at Tusubira Village and the many tasks being taken care of here in America.

In Uganda crops are being harvested and taken to the market to generate an income for Tusubira Village.  It has been an incredible first growing season and they are definitely doing a great job of farming, thanks to the amazing mentors that they have learned from. 

The women in the community continue to meet to work on projects and learn new skills.  Our social worker Sharon is always on hand to facilitate conversations and work with the women to not only teach skills but help work through issues the women may be dealing with at home.  These conversations between women help bond them as a community and they are learning to work together to accomplish more than they could do alone.

Here in America we are working on a number of ways to fundraise to complete our first building at Tusubira Village.  The plan is to eventually have three structures on the property.  A house to accommodate Sharon as well as guests that come to volunteer in the community, a workshop that is able to be secured where we will house things like sewing machines and supplies.  It will also host educational workshops and meetings during the inclement seasons.  We also need a small one room structure where our caretaker will live full-time. This is important for the security of the compound.

One way we are trying to make it easier for you to be a part of this amazing adventure is by creating a site that you can go to and easily make a donation of any amount.  A couple of clicks and you are a part of changing lives on the other side of the planet! How amazing is that??

We want to thank you friends.  Your incredible support, financial and otherwise makes what we do possible.  We are grateful that you have opened your hearts to a community so far away and empowered them to create meaningful change to their health and way of life.  You are a part of the team giving them the skills needed to making a better future.  So thank you for that.

Amazing progress at Tusubira Village!

Hello friends!

So much has happened in Tusubira Village since last month, and we wanted to show you how much you’ve helped us to achieve these goals!

The building, which had walls last time you saw, is now beginning to be roofed! This building will feature a Western style kitchen, essential for processing of food to go to market, as well as rooms for doctors and travelers to stay, and an area to provide safe, clean medical care for the women, men and children. We have so many dreams for this building; a clean, indoor space can change an entire community, and your support in building it has been so appreciated.

The biggest thing right now is to finish this first building at Tusubira Village.  We need to put in electricity and plumbing, windows and walls, as well as furnish it.  As soon as that is completed we can begin using the building for all of the things we plan to offer to this community - from family planning to skills training to having a social worker on site full-time. If you’re interested in supporting the building projects at Tusubira Village, be sure to check out the GoFundMe, which is still up and running! Your contribution will help change lives.

The gardens have been a source of financial growth as well as educational wealth for the entire community. These past few weeks, school children have been touring the gardens to learn about healthy eating and growing produce. These rows of maize, beans, peppers, bananas, mangos, and much more are being sold at the markets in order to raise the money to expand the gardens. These gardens will allow the community to become self-sustaining, and teaching school children how to take care of them is a vital part of building strength at Tusubira Village.

As we’re headed into the dry season, community members are learning how to mulch the gardens and cover the soil with banana leaves. This step prevents crop loss by keeping moisture at the roots of the plants. This is just one of the wonderful skills that are being developed!

The biggest reason why this project was created is the wonderful people whom we’ve gotten to work with in Uganda. These people, whose lives are directly touched by all the work you’ve helped us to accomplish, wanted to share with you what these changes meant to them.

Jussie, a young mother, says of her involvement with Grow Hope, “It has been a blessing to be part of this organization. A lot has changed in my life and my family… you taught me on how to feed my children which I did and they are now in good shape; my children are no longer getting sick all the time... I am also grateful… that you gave me ideas and inspired me to start up a business. I have plans of expanding my small business slowly. My life has generally changed to better and am grateful to you. I hope to learn more skills which I will use to develop myself more.”

Topista, who has helped rally the community around change, says “Who knew we would have friends even from America? My kids are in school…, we grow vegetables, and our sanitation has greatly improved since we got a latrine, which we didn’t have before. We have had material support from the Grow Hope Foundation, and I have learnt some skills, and I look forwards to learning more and transforming. I have many more hopes with this project, and I will stick to it until I get there.”

While Grow Hope helps to provide funds for growth, the primary goals are to provide opportunities for education and skill acquisition, which will help community members reach their goals of becoming self-sustaining and strong, through betterment of sanitation, school attendance, nutrition, empowerment of women, and many other aspects along the way.

We also wanted to say a big thank you to all who participated in the April art auction and the Tiggy & Grace shop opening earlier this month. Thanks to generous artists who donated their pieces, 100% of the proceeds are able to go to Tusubira Village. The auction alone raised almost $2000, the proceeds of which helped to start raising the roof on the first building!

The community has so many goals and projects they want to get started on. Next up are finishing the building, expanding the gardens, and getting the Porridge Project off to a good start!

The Porridge Project is a new program that will help prevent malnutrition in the area by creating the means for villagers to grow, mill, and package their own nutritional instant porridge. This porridge will not only provide school children a breakfast before a long day at school, but will provide jobs for residents, and profits through sales outside of the community.

Thank you for all that you do for the community at Tusubira Village, and thank you for allowing us to share our joys and successes with you!

 “I have learnt one thing! That in life, nothing should be taken lightly. You have taught us so many things but much of what you have taught us has always been in our surroundings.”
 –Fred, Tusubira Village Community Member

A Market Bag for you and breakfast for kids in need!

Good morning friends!

We are so excited that we can finally share with you a project we have been working on here at the Grow Hope foundation.  You may remember the Porridge Project that we began a few months back- a program that will help combat malnutrition in children in our community and beyond.  Well, we teamed up with Fashionable Notes- an amazing design company, to create a market bag for us that would allow us to offer you something fabulous but also impact the children in our community surrounding Tusubira Village.  They created these wonderful canvas totes that are wonderful for carting all of your gear around, or taking to the grocery or market when you go shopping.  They are sturdy and washable and best of all the proceeds from the sale of each bag will feed TWO KIDS for an ENTIRE school year!  Through the Porridge Project kids who would otherwise go without food until after a long school day will be provided with "breakfast" - a meal that will give them energy to learn as well as to fight malnutrition.  We are so excited about these bags and what they will mean for our community.  Malnutrition is one of the leading killers in our community and through the Porridge Project we hope to reduce that statistic and help this community become stronger.  Visit tiggy & grace - our online shop where you can purchase one (or more) of these market bags.  Each bag is $30. Together, we CAN make a difference!

A Garden Grows in Uganda

Hello friends!

We wanted to share a quick update on the INCREDIBLE work the community in Uganda is doing in the gardens at the Tusubira Village educational compound.  They are working SO HARD to plant our education gardens with a wide variety of crops so that people can see all of the healthy nutritional produce they can grow at their own homes.

We also have a team of gardeners that we have hired to not only oversee the planting and organizing of the gardens but to also be a part of teaching the community members that come to Tusubira Village to learn.  As we see these gardens coming together, sprouting and the long beautiful rows growing so well we are so excited to see people begin to see what it is we are doing here on this educational compound.  

For people who don't have enough land to plant proper gardens at their home, we are teaching them how to grow their produce in these wonderful repurposed bags.  The gardeners show them how to fill the bags with dirt, a cylinder of rocks down the middle for water to evenly distribute through the entire bag.  We offer starts in a variety of plants that they can grow and we also will teach them how to harvest seeds from their plants to grow future crops.  

The women in our community have enthusiastically visited the gardens whenever there is an opportunity to learn.  These women work so hard to improve conditions at their own homes, and the chance to improve the nutritional intake of their families is reason enough to learn what they can and take the lessons learned home.  Dr. Isaac and Sharon gave the women a tour of the spinach garden this week and shared with them the high nutritional content of spinach. 

Before the women left the compound they were each given a bunch of the spinach to take with them.  

We have a number of objectives at Tusubira Village.  Our highest priority is to create a sustainable program that will generate enough revenue to continue to expand the programs we hope to eventually offer.  Much of our crops will be sold to generate that income.  Another priority for us is to donate a portion of our produce to local organizations who are working with venerable children and people in the surrounding communities.  We want to support others doing good work in our area.  Finally, we want to make sure that the original community that welcomed us so warmly and enthusiastically is taken care of.  We want to support those that struggle to feed their families.  We want them to know that we are there as a part of their community and as such, we look out for each other as a family would. 

We are still raising funds to put a roof on our first building at the compound.  If you want to make a donation please email thegrowhopefoundation@gmail.com

April Art Auction!

First of all we want to thank each and every one of you who have so generously donated to our Go Fund Me campaign to build our first building at Tusubira Village. {you can learn more about this campaign here} It is still running and there is still time to make a donation!  This building is going to be the cornerstone of this educational compound. Our newsletter coming later this month will have more information on what we will be able to offer this community once the building is complete. You can sign up to receive our monthly updates at the bottom of the "about" page.  Workers are busy finishing the walls and as soon as we have the funds available, they will begin to put on the roof.  It's an exciting time in Tusubira Village.  If you haven't had a chance to make a donation, we would be so grateful if you would join us in this endeavor.  Look what you have done so far!

Our next fundraiser is one that we are really excited to share. Thanks to our amazingly talented artist friends who have supported us from the very beginning, we are happy to announce that our April Art Auction is nearly here.  The auction will run from Friday April 24th - 3 pm Saturday April 25th.  There are so many beautiful pieces and the collection is diverse and has something for everyone.  From paintings to sketches to hand stitching, all of the pieces are absolutely fabulous.  The auction will be run on the kimberlytaylorimages.com site and the details will be on the first post.  We hope to raise the funds to get the roof and windows in the building and with your help we know we can do it!  

Brick by brick

Friends, if you haven't already heard - we are hosting a Go Fund Me campaign to get our first structure built. It is a wonderful opportunity for everyone who has followed along on this amazing journey to be a part of making this compound a functioning resource for this community. We have big goals for Tusubira Village and getting this first structure completed will allow us to move forward with those programs.

While those of us who are able to help with the financial aspect of this project are busy raising the funds to build, we wanted to share with you the work that the people in our community are doing to make these goals a reality. While they aren't able to make financial contributions, they are hard at work digging out foundations and making bricks.  Did you know that each and every brick is hand-made?  Every one.  

Mud is dug from local soil which is rich with clay.  Water is added and it is stored in a large mound.

A form is prepared to make bricks, two by two.

Clay is packed into the form to create bricks. The moisture content must be just right to create solid bricks.

Once the form is filled the bricks are taken to dry.

They are removed from the form by dropping it on the ground at which time they should pop out.

After a few days they are dry enough to stack until they are completely dry.

Completely dry bricks are fired in a kiln made from earth and brick. After they are fired they are used to build buildings like the one we are building at Tusubira Village.  Join us in making that possible by donating to our campaign here: http://www.gofundme.com/o2mwu4

Uganda 2015 Update- Part 1

We set a few lofty goals when we started our work in Uganda, the largest (so far) of which involved bringing a well to Tusubira Village. A well means a lot of things to this community. It means a fresh water supply for eating and watering gardens, for bathing and hygiene, and a resource to literally sustain life. Thanks to a little “can-do” spirit and a lot of aggressive fundraising and generous donors, we saw that goal come to life. Kimberly was lucky enough to return to Uganda on behalf of our team to check on that well in addition to several other Grow Hope sponsored projects in progress. What she witnessed and accomplished during her time there was beyond encouraging.

We thought we’d pass along a little update to get you up to speed with what we’ve been working on. Progress is moving forward in our little village and we couldn’t be more pleased!

1. The well is functioning as it should and community members also voted to to pay a small user fee, funds would then go towards maintenance costs as they arise. It thrills us to see the people taking ownership over the well and its success, which is exactly what we hope for when it comes to the rest of our plans within the village.

2. So much work has been done on the 4 acres of land which will eventually host 40 gardens and various agricultural endeavors, as well as our next major focus: a multi-purpose educational compound. Trees have been cleared (leaving the existing jackfruit, mango, avocado and banana trees of course), a field of pineapples has also been planted. 

3. While Kim was there we were able to break ground on the first of a series of buildings to be a part of the educational compound. This building will provide quarters for an on site social-worker who will facilitate the different educational, health, and community programs. Until the other buildings are completed it will also be used for meetings and to store supplies needed for ongoing projects, like the nutritional packets which we’ll touch on in part 2 of this update. We will also share the work that goes into building these buildings which begins with making each and every brick by hand.

4. Funds that were raised and donated by a generous school project hosted by The Grow Hope Club in Canada were used to purchase and distribute 80 mosquito nets to families in need. Assistance and education was also given to those recipients on the exact installation and use of these nets, a step further from previous efforts where no education was given at all. Malaria is the #1 cause of death in this part of Uganda and mosquito nets can be hugely effective in reducing those numbers when used properly. 

5. The team completed a visit to the children’s hospital in Jinja, the town closest to our community. Hygiene and comfort items were handed out to all of the people there (items generously donated by those back in the states). The main focus of our time at the hospital was spent on the malnutrition ward where we witnessed first hand its devastating effects on the children there. Since Ugandan soil is so rich and responsive to agriculture efforts, we have hope that we can use the produce from our gardens, combined with ongoing nutritional and hygiene focused education, to change the way people eat and prepare their food and hopefully improve their overall health and wellness. 

6. In conjunction with improved nutrition efforts we connected with a few different programs that feed children in Uganda in the hopes that one day soon we can donate any excess produce from our community gardens in Tusubira Village to those in need.

There was so much crammed into such a few short days that even catching up months later is a bit overwhelming. Though our time in Uganda was limited, it was extremely productive and that’s something to be proud of for those of us involved both here and on the ground back in Africa.

Part 2 of our 2014 excursion is soon to come, stay tuned to hear about the community educational focus and the advances we’ve made on a local level, along with some insight into our plans for the future.

It’s good stuff, we promise!  

Meet {Christine}

We'd like to introduce you to Christine.  She owns a small business near Tusubira Village and we knew soon after meeting her that she was a natural leader.  In a place where women can often feel inferior and have little power in their communities, Christine stands out.  She is focused on the projects she undertakes and dedicated in not only completing her own tasks but encouraging others to do the same.  She is respectful of other community members and has a way of bringing people together to work as a team in order to accomplish more than if they worked individually.  We feel fortunate to have Christine working with us to build Tusubira Village as she is an amazing role model for the women in rural Uganda.

1 What is your name?

NAMUSISI CHRISTINE

2 Are you married?

Not married (Christine lost her husband)

3 How many children do you have?

6 children, 3 girls and 3 boys

4 How did you connect with SCEP?

The chairman told me about a new project that had come in the community and the way he explained to me about it attracted me to join.

5 How has your life changed since working with SCEP?

My hygiene at home improved, I have a sun drier, a good latrine and rubbish pit where after I collect manure.

6 What knowledge have you gained from SCEP?

Better farming skills and am able to sell on the vegetable to get some money for other needs.

7 What else do you think we need to do in SCEP?

We need to stay united for development because we all learn from one another.

8 What other knowledge do you think SCEP should bring to the community?

Put some adult education especially on how to read and write

Meet {Fred}

Hello Friends!

We are starting a series here in the journal to introduce you to our community that lives around Tusubira Village.  These people have been a part of our work in Uganda since the beginning and have made vast improvements in their lives.  But I want you to hear it in their own words.  So, I would like to introduce you to Fred- a man whom I adore and who has been an example of what amazing things can be accomplished with hard work and an open mind to trying new things.

1. What is your name?  

My name is Musota Tibenkana Fred

2. Are you married?  

Yes

3. Do you have children?  

Yes I have children, four of them. Oohh sorry, I have five - one boy and four girls.

4. How did you connect with SCEP (Sustainable Community Education Program)  and The Grow Hope Foundation?  

It was one Sunday when I was walking round, then I saw people gathered under the mango tree and the village leader was also there. I drew closer to listen to what was going on and no one was bothered about my standing near the meeting. Then I heard you people teaching about what makes a person to be called healthy. I was excited about different things but it was new to me to hear that if someone isn’t happy, then he isn’t healthy. I left wondering when you said that some one at wrangle with his neighbor he isn’t socially healthy. I then also sat down and no one chased me away.  Anyway, from the little I heard on that day, I noticed that you had plenty to teach and I noted the next date for the teaching. Its from that date that I came to learn about and join SCEP.

5. How has your life changed from the time you joined SCEP?

I feel so strong enough in everything I do nowadays and I believe in my self just like you taught us. I have become more hard working because the gardens give me a lot of hope, especially when people come to my home to admire. This makes me work harder. My home also attracts people’s attention more than before. But I think I am also very strong because of the balanced diet which I now get and thank you for teaching us. I am also happy that I am able to meet most of the school needs for my children with the money I earn from selling the vegetables though not yet enough to meet all needs.

6. Of the knowledge that you have gained from SCEP, which one has had the best impact on your life?

The knowledge of farming and being in good relations with all people to be healthy.

7. What other knowledge do you need to continue making positive changes in your life?

I tried rearing chickens some time back but I lost all of them because of reasons I don’t know until now. I think you saw the nets i had put at home for the chickens! And I think that if I get more knowledge about rearing chickens and cows, I will be able to improve more.

8. What advice do you have for the non-SCEP members?

I only teach them every time they come to my home to admire (my gardens).

9. If SCEP left this village for another village right now won’t you get back to where you were before?

hahahahaha (very big laughter with wonders) No my friend, I will never get back again. SCEP has already shown me the right direction to take and I would just keep going but don’t plan on leaving us because we still need more guidance and knowledge from you.

The beginning of a well

Friends, you did it!  Thanks to you we funded our campaign and the community surrounding Tusubira Village will have access to water from a well that is safe to collect.  We are so grateful for your incredible generosity and belief in this project.  With your support Tusubira Village is going to help improve lives~

We are so excited to share with you that the initial studies for installing a well in Tusubira Village have begun!  The hydrologist has been to the property and done a complete study of where the well will hopefully go.  Things look very promising so far and we are working with drilling companies to collect bids for installing the well itself.  The community is partially in disbelief that this well is actually going in.  It really isn't something they ever dreamed they would have access to- safe drinking water.  It truly will change the way of life here in this rural community.  

Building Tusubira Village

 

I recently returned from Uganda where I visited our pilot project that The Grow Hope Foundation has been working on in partnership with the Sustainable Community Education Program (SCEP).  During the two weeks there I was able to witness first hand what the team in Uganda has accomplished in the past year.  We spent much of our time in the community, getting to know the members of our pilot project and seeing the incredible changes that they have made to improve their health through improved sanitation and hygiene.  Now that we feel we have educated our community on hygiene and sanitation, we have begun to work on phase 2 of our program which encompasses nutrition- eating properly, growing healthy fruits and vegetables, and drying/storing food.   

The community that we work in is rural and most of the residents lack education.  We want to offer this community a different future, not only for themselves but for their children and their grandchildren.  Our community members in the pilot project have been so eager to learn and have attended the classes enthusiastically.  After each workshop they return home to implement the changes they have been taught.  In the last year every single family in our program has built a proper, safe and sanitary latrine as well as a tip-top (an apparatus for washing hands- an integral part of our program).  They have also learned about the importance of keeping their home free from pests as well as built washing tables to wash and store their dishes, pots and mingling sticks- the tool they use to cook that was often stored on the ground in the dirt.  With these simple measures, illnesses have decreased dramatically over the past year and not one child was lost in our village to the secondary effects of poor sanitation.  While our community is healthier, we still see far too much malnutrition, especially in young children.  And that is where we came up with a plan.  A plan that we are really excited about and truly feel that it will impact this community and other communities around ours. Our hope is to create a sustainable program that offers education to the people around us, so that they in turn can begin to rise from the poverty that they currently exist in and create a life with hopes and dreams and a prosperous future.  We want to build something that will greatly increase their chances in doing that.

Tusubira Village will cover three acres and will serve as an educational compound to the surrounding area.  It will consist of an office building with class space for things such as sewing and skills education.  It will also have a well which will not only benefit Tusubira Village but also the surrounding community, a house for the volunteers who we hope will offer different sorts of education to the people of the area, a thatched-roof meeting area, and a lawn where children can play while their parents learn.  We will also have an education garden where we will grow over 40 different crops that will not only teach the community how to grow nutritious foods but also supply our farm stand in the village and offer food that will be donated to the malnutrition ward at the local children's hospital.  

So now we begin the journey to educating the community on nutrition.  Through the Tusubira Village we hope to not only teach the community but to actually show them and let them learn in our gardens.  Our hope is to engage our initial community so completely that they will in turn become experts and be able to share the many things they have learned with others in their area who don't yet take part in the program.  Our goal is that with this village, which will be a place for people to come and learn and change their way of doing things, can impact not only our members but all of the residents of our area.  One day, maybe we will even help to improve the health and well-being of Ugandans in other rural areas.

We hope to do some serious fund-raising to get this project not only started, but completed. The sooner we can get Tusubira Village up and running, the sooner the lives of these incredible people can begin to improve.  I've often thought about the fact that because many of us were born in the countries we were, we will never have to struggle to survive, better yet have a chance to thrive like this community does.  But these women- the ones who welcomed me into their homes, shared what little food they had with me and freely strapped their children to my back so that I could experience, for half an hour, what they live every day.  These women are strong, and smart and they are willing to do whatever it takes to improve their lives.  They simply need a bit of help getting started.  They will do the rest- and not only that, but I know that they will take what they have learned and spread that knowledge to the communities surrounding them, so that everyone has an opportunity to thrive.  That is what we want with this project- a long lasting solution that will change the trajectory of their futures, as well as the futures of generations to come.  We would really love your help- big or small- and over the coming months we will be offering a number of ways in which you can change the lives of people you may never meet, and give them hope where so many have lost all sense of it.  They are an incredibly positive group, and with your help they too will be able to dream of a better future.

Preparing for Africa

Hello friends!

Summer arrives in just a few short days and it is sure to begin on a busy note around here.  Preparations are under way for a return trip to Uganda, this time on behalf of The Grow Hope Foundation.  It will be a different trip this time around- arriving in a country that is already familiar, meeting with people who have become friends and hitting the ground running in order to accomplish all of the things we hope to before it is time to depart.  Right now we are in the process of making schedules and itineraries, assembling things that will be brought on the trip, continuing to narrow down our mission statement so that it is clear and concise and really captures exactly what it is we hope to do in Uganda.  I think that it will continue to be refined until after the trip, when we have seen what progress has been made, what has worked, what hasn't had as much impact as we had hoped, and most importantly, until there have been in-depth discussions with the SCHEP team in Uganda.  Through them I hope to "catch-up" quickly so that when we visit the different areas we have been working in, I will be prepared to capture it with my camera as well as connect with the residents there.  It is going to be a very busy trip but surely a productive one as well.  

Upon returning from Africa the plan is to host an auction to kick off a fund-raising campaign for The Grow Hope Foundation.  With your help we hope to take this little seed of possibility and grow it into a thriving network of self-sustaining groups that are able to independently provide a healthier life for their families and their community.  We hope that by empowering the villagers we are working with in Uganda they will, in turn, take what they have learned and share it with others.  This is the beginning of something amazing my friends and I hope you will be here with us to see what can happen when we dream big and do good!