Developing skills for self-sufficiency & sustainability in rural northern Uganda

Isaac Kwaje was born in Palorinya refugee camp, Northern Uganda during the civil war in Sudan. CRESS began sponsoring his education in 2014.

In 2019 he graduated with a First in his Diploma in Business Administration. He sought work in Palorinya and Juba but to no avail and he felt helpless and hopeless. He wrote to Bishop Joseph in Arua, who responded saying there was a voluntary role available. He moved to Arua and worked as a volunteer until a post became available as a cashier, which he applied for and was offered. He is now an intrinsic part of the Diocese of Liwolo finance team and is also studying for a Bachelor of Business Finance and Accounting at night school. Isaac and his wife Fiona have a 4 month old child.

My name is Grace Adede (right), God’s Mercy savings/agric group in Imvepi. I was wondering why this training did not happen to me before this time. I was kept in the dark for so long. I could grow vegetables but out of knowledge and couldn’t give me good yields. Several NGOs in Imvepi gave us veg seeds without training the members. Thank God for DOL/CRESS UK for giving this training. It has opened my eyes and mind that the small plot given to me by UNHCR can give me vegetables every season. I can use manures, I can make organic pesticides from plants at no cost to protect my vegetables, am not going to eat beans every day, I am just waiting for the rains to fall so I can begin my veg project at home.

Songa with his reading glasses glasses and bible:

1. Before I received the glasses, my eyes would tear when I read for long but now, I don’t experience it.
2. Reading in an open place under the sunshine affected my eyes in a way that letters seem mixed up and the words appear black. But now I don’t get disturbed under the sun while using the glasses.
3. During prayer service in the church, the lighting is so low that I cannot read the bible without glasses but now that is possible with the blessing of the
   glasses given to me.

Thank you so much.