Sustainability is an important and seductive word. We’ve watched numerous sustainability projects falter at RUHU. A chicken coup. A transportation project. Creating solar energy. The trick is always sustaining the sustainability. Say that ten times fast! It’s especially difficult for an organization that cares for orphans and vulnerable people. The children and families that we support are, by definition, unable to sustain themselves, and so they turn to the programs that RUHU operates.
And yet, sustainability remains an important goal for RUHU. The new farm project at RUHU promises sustainable sustainability.
Last year, we were able to purchase 10 acres of land for a new farm project. The goal of the farm project is to employ RUHU grads with experience in agriculture, to grow food that the organization can use to offset food cost, and to grow cash crops that will generate income for the organization.
There are two reasons we believe this farm project will work.
The first reason is the scale. The piece of land we were able to procure is the largest plot owned by RUHU. It enables us to grow a diverse range of crops and also house animals. The land is fertile, and the farm team is able to use irrigation techniques that survive both the wet and the dry seasons. Uganda is agriculturally blessed with a 12-month growing season and adequate rain.
The second, and main reason, is the right people. Nicholas is our farm manager, and he has a dream. Walking our group around the farm, Nicholas talks about creative agricultural solutions to common problems in Uganda. But he also understands economics. He knows that foreigners will pay more for particular types of green lettuce, which Ugandans don’t often eat. He grows sweet peppers and knows where to sell them. He has planted avocado and even pomegranate trees alongside coffee trees.
All of this is just beginning to take root. For now, there is cassava to harvest. But soon, hopefully, a wide range of produce will mark the RUHU farm as a one-of-a-kind sustainability project. The farm will employ and offset expenses. But it is becoming obvious to us that the creativity and resourcefulness of the farm project will go far beyond simply supplementing the good work RUHU is doing. What we are beginning to suspect is that this agricultural program, which seemed to be a behind-the-scenes project, may become a flagship part of what RUHU has to offer to the community. A beacon of sustainable hope.
Peace, Caleb
