On friday 2nd March 2012, we had a meeting with the country director; World Food Program in Kampala. In attendance was the Gulu district chairman. In the discussion, the chairman introduced me and Villages of Hope Africa, as great development partners of the government, helping to reach out to many families in the district where government can not easily provide services, which are not limited to water and sanitation, food security and livelihood, and church planting.
In the meeting the Country Director, was informed that we have so far supported over 3700 farmers/ families, and indirectly 22,200 people as far as food security is concerned, for each family to be in position to feed their children, as the surplus sold to meet other family needs which include but not limited to paying their children in school, medical, clothing, etc. However, with the sustainable development of these villages, there is a great demand to transform these farmers in to planting not only food crops but cash crops too, and in order to achieve this goal, an intervation of mechanization of agriculture is paramount hence helping famers to open 10 acres of land in one day, which would have taken them 8 month to open and turn for planting. Therefore the tractor if granted to the farmers, would be a great deal and a blessing to them.
The country Director World Food Program responded that in their view as World Food Program, they are scalling out their program in the region, and shifting their attention to more prone areas much as they recognize the the food security levels in Acholi land, which need a lot of interventions. They have three tractors in Northern region, two (2) being in Gulu warehouse, and one (1) being in Kitgum, but also planning to be brought back to Gulu, with the plan of selling them off to any best bidders. He however said that with the intervation plan of Villages of Hope Africa, he would consider granting them out, however not to Villages of Hope Africa directly.
What would be done however is to hand them to the Gulu Local government to own them. Then it would be the role of the local government to enter into an Memorandum of Understanding with Villages of Hope Africa for the period as agreed by the two parties. He said that he will be in Gulu on the 16th day of march 2012, to hand over the tractors to the district.
I have all the faith to believe that the tractor will be handed to Villages of Hope Africa (since we need one for better maintenance), which will greatly change the lives of families in the 33 villages so far that God Has changed to move from subsistance farmers into commercial farmers.
I therefore thank every one individually for their tireless time of intercession and praying for this great and noble cause. May the almighty God continue make their spirits thirst more for HIS love and blessings, as they continue praying with us here that after the hand over of the tractors to the district, there will be a lot of ease to sign the MoU with the government as soon as possible, to begin helping the farmers in time before the on set of the rains at the end of March.
We also visited the warehouse, and I would love to tell you that it is amazing!!!! Its a big facility, which can house 60,000 metric tones of seeds. They can help the farmers who keep their grains in it to market their grains....... however they encourage the big size beans (not the traditional ones that our farmers plant) as well as maize.
We love you with the love of our God Jesus Christ!
