Do unto others as you would have them do to you…
I realize it has been sometime since I have updated you all on my current adventures…and for that I apologize.
There are many things going on here in my life that I find myself lying my head down at night running through all the things that I did not get to that day as I am sure many of you have felt the same way…however, it is important we keep in mind that we must do what we can, with what we have, where we are…and that we must take time to rest our bodies and minds.
Since visiting Kigali I have had many different experiences, some more challenging than others and I have begun to recognize that these various events are what make up my daily life. As I have said to many people along the way, I always knew in my heart that I would come to Africa…as one may ask why, I will simply answer, because I have always heard “the call”…did I know exactly what I would be doing, where I would be going, who I would be with, no of course not, but here I am. Yet, the intentions that I had are nowhere near the expectations I am beginning to realize Africa has in store for me.
All of a sudden it seems that I have much work to do…people to contact, partnerships to form, information to research, and results to publish. I have now been here for 4.5months and still feel I have not done nearly enough. The obstacles I come across are those in which I am sure many of you have had your fill.
The reality of the matter is there are people…women, men, and children waiting for me. They are waiting for me to provide something for them, waiting for me to make the right connections, waiting for me to help them. It seems that it is not enough to be present, and I did not come all the way to Uganda to merely be present, I came to “make a difference.” Starting right away with visiting each member in the sub-county of Wairasa which resulted in visiting 61 members, I was not sure exactly what it was that I was supposed to be doing. We went for nearly three weeks to four, five, six homes a day and I asked each woman the same 10 questions…from there I started my own journey.
I remember thinking, as I often find myself still questioning, how in the world do I begin to actually piece together all of the information gathered, ideas offered, address the needs of the community, etc. After the first two months it became clearer, I wasn’t asking the right questions…of everything I had learned I had essentially failed to use one of my most vital lessons…help me to help you.
As many of you know I have recently been working on our current project “Acres for Lazarus,” which essentially involves fund raising to purchase our own land to cultivate our way into the market to generate income. Simply to purchase 5 acres of land, near the villages of our members will be roughly 800,000sch ($330.00 USD) which doesn’t include all the necessities to develop it into an actual garden…However, from this simple idea much has been tagged on and I have become overwhelmed and distracted looking too far into the bigger picture. I guess this is where I have been, instead of keeping you all updated, I have been lost in thoughts, reading, contacting, researching, etc., ways to tackle the route to success.
However, as the days go by, I realize that good things come with time and if we truly want Lazarus Community to be sustainable starting small may be the best pace for us. Yet, raising enough funds for 5 acres of land, tools, equipment, seeds, and materials needed for a piggery, still adds up. My prayers continue to seek for assistance, guidance, and knowledge. Trying to write a grant proposal to spin in any which way a potential donor may be interested in has been tricky and has taken much time. I am still trying to find different organizations to apply to with funders who may be interested in supporting a small Community Based Organization in the most impoverished district of Jinja, Uganda. Meanwhile, I continue to collect ideas from my two colleagues, Henry and James, the original founders of Lazarus Community which convinces my understanding of the expectations they have of me. Henry and James started Lazarus Community in 2008 and have since been paying out of pocket for any such expense…fuel to travel to and from Wairasa County, burials, food, soap, materials for our crafts program, health care, hospital bills, etc. and I now can see from the expressions on their faces that they are eager for our prayers to be answered.
The more time I spend with the women of Lazarus Community I continue to see more potential, different ways we could support these women, various approaches to help improve their quality of life along with their standard of living…and as the wheels always continue to turn, I sometimes do not see their immediate needs.
Currently, the most important issue to address is the famine among our members. The draught has left the women of Lazarus Community and their children/grandchildren with very little opportunity for income let alone food. There are days that these women and children eat mangos as their only source of nutrition…our Wednesday group continues to diminish because the members can no longer be away from the home during the afternoon because they have to go seek for something to feed their families. I was talking with Henry just yesterday and he said that 1 kilo of posho (cornmeal flour mixed with water) is 2,000UGX (less than $1.00 USD) and feeds nearly four people for one meal. However, depending on the size of the family, sometimes 2 kilos are needed for one meal which is less than $2.00 USD. If I were to receive help from anyone of you, I could purchase 150 kilo of posho for roughly 270,000UGX ($115.00) USD which would estimate 3 kilo per member meaning that we could provide a meal for 50 members and their families.
I continue to try and wrap my mind around my reality…that with the smallest donation you can seriously feed a family…I would always see advertisements on the television or read them in the newspaper but I am here to tell you first hand, that it is true.
This is why again our project “Acres for Lazarus” is going to be beyond effective even if at first it is simply a source of nutrition for our members…if it takes a few planting seasons for our garden to bring in income for our members so be it…the foremost important issue to be addressed is that the women that I am working with, the women and children that you all are praying for, do not continue to suffer from the on-going famine. When I leave those women, even to head back to my village, I know that I will at least have rice and beans to nourish me…and these women, these children, they have very little…ah, my heart is heavy.
What to do? Feed the hungry…clothe the naked...well, here is our chance…
Perhaps the lesson learned here is that even though we may have certain intentions, there will always be more expected of us…and we should always expect more of ourselves…to never set limits on our capabilities, our good fortune, or on our love. To actually follow through with my mission, which I continue to become more familiar with as the days go by, I must produce…I must prosper…and I am asking you to come along with me…to support, to provide, and to care for the women that are now not just in my daily life but in yours as well.
May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of you…and may you harden not your hearts.
Much love to you all,
Anne Therese
