I am Himran, a farmer from Aojapiro village, in Abim District.
I have for long been engaged in subsistence farming. I used to earn very little yet endure so many challenges including inadequate school fees for children, poor dressing of family members, and inability to off-set medical bills due to low family income.
They kept on increasing until Share An Opportunity Uganda SAO U came to my rescue.
SAO was sensitizing my community on their programs, when my wife tipped me about the community meeting which I joined with laxity. Luckily, community members identified me as one of the few people to be involved in the Integrated Family Farm Plans.
SAO engaged us into planning together as a family including children.
The SAO Uganda officials also trained me on good farming methods, and commercial farming.
They also took me through several exposure learning visits to model farms where I acquired more skills from experienced farmers for commercial farming. Later, in one of the family meetings, my family and I made a decision to include apiary farming in our joint family plan as a business. The family agreed to sell 2 bulls at 2,970,000ugx and bought 112 bee hives (2- modern and 110- local) which we located in our 4 acre family land near the home.
In the last season I harvested 261kgs of honey from our family apiary which we sold at 8,500ugx per kg for 2,218,500ugx and we expect more than these because more hives have been colonized by bees. The money has helped us to transfer two children to boarding schools in Ngora district for better education since they were day scholars in the village schools before. Dressing of family members, and family diet have greatly improved and we no longer have debts for medical bills at health clinics.
Just like Imran’s family, many children can have a better life in Uganda if given a hand.
At least 11.3% of Uganda’s 17 million children are orphans, 8% are critically vulnerable, and another 43% are moderately vulnerable according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
Share An Opportunity Uganda has been empowering communities to provide holistic development for children in Central, Eastern, and Northern Uganda for close to 30 years. As Imran notes, “SAO U’s intervention is priceless”.
Established in 1991 as a small Save an Orphan Program, Share An Opportunity Uganda evolved over the years into a leading Christian Child Centered and Registered Non- Governmental Organization. Its mandate is the expression of Christian Care to children in need irrespective of race, sex, nationality, and religious or political conviction.
SAO U seeks funds from donors/well-wishers from time to time to be used to empower communities to provide holistic development to children and youth in Uganda. To donate, Log on to www.saouganda.org and follow the prompts. May God bless you.
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