IN PROGRESS...

The Official Newsletter for Uganda Farmers, Inc. April 2018

Water Project in Kichwamba Complete

O ur latest water project in the village of appreciation for this wonderful gift of water.
Kichwamba in the Kamwenge district of
Western Uganda was recently completed Many thanks to our loyal donors, volunteers and
in March. This project will positively affect the lives supporters for bringing this dream to fruition. 
of several thousand people as it will service a
nursery school, primary school, secondary school
and a health clinic as well as local villages. The
water pressure is sufficient to support six taps,
strategically located throughout the village.

We had expected the work to have been complet-

ed in early February during our visit and inspection.
However, Draco, Ltd., our trusted drilling partner,
had to redirect its resources to the Uganda refugee
camps. Despite the refugee crisis, work eventually
resumed on the village project and was able to
reach completion, servicing over 4,000 people.

While we were there on our inspection tour, we met

with the doctor in charge of the medical clinic as
well as its staff, the local pastor, the headmaster of
the schools and many students and villagers. They Water flows in Kichwamba
could hardly contain their excitement and

In This Issue
 Interview with a Visitor to
Uganda—pg. 2

 Seventh Annual Running

Water for Africa 5K—pg. 3

 Babies Home Welcomes

Clothing and Support—pg. 4

 Refugees Pour into Uganda—

pg. 4

 How to Help —pg. 5

1
 Interview with a Visitor to Uganda

I n February, June Lewis, a longtime friend and supporter of

Uganda Farmers, Inc., traveled to Uganda with Jane Holler
and Dan Marecki of Uganda Farmers, Inc. Dan Marecki in-
terviewed June after their return to find out what she thought of
Can you describe the water situation?

and what she learned on her first trip to Uganda.
***
Dan: You recently returned from your trip. What was it like?
June: First of all, it makes me cry to not be there right now – it’s
a wonderful place. At first I was struck by the poverty and how
different it is from the U.S. I was uncomfortable because there
are few paved roads and it’s very dusty, but I was struck by the
hospitality of everyone we met. Even the shopkeepers welcome
you in such a more personal manner.
The country itself is very beautiful – the Rift Valley, the Rwenzori
mountains, the tea plantations, and the lakes. People were work-
ing everywhere and working very hard. Although it’s a suste-
nance existence for most, people still found a way to celebrate,
to take such joy in living.
One day while driving along the highway, I saw a little boy, four
or five years old, carrying a jerry can of water almost as big as
he. In the late afternoons I would see dozens of kids lined up by
a stream to fetch water and carry it home, perhaps for as long as
three miles. I was surprised that such young children would have
this responsibility and have no worries about safety as they
trucked home. Getting water is so much more work than any of
us can imagine. Tasks that for us are a simple convenience are
daunting and grueling for the villagers.
How was your visit to the water project in Kichwamba?
When we were there, the project was not quite completed, but
there was a great sense of anticipation by the students, the vil-
lagers, and those working on digging trenches for the water pipes
[Editor’s note: the project is now complete; water is flowing and
people are joyous]. They were all so grateful that their lives
would be so much better by having nearby access to clean, pure
water.

What did you see that you did not expect?

The generosity of the people is so pure and so much a part of

their daily lives. What they have they share and they go out of
their way to make you feel welcome. It’s difficult to understand
the magnitude and the quality of that generosity unless you actu-
ally experience it.

It would be my dream to go back to Uganda, to see the results of

the water projects, and to visit areas of proposed project to help
the people reap the rewards of having access to clean water.

***

Editor’s Note: June was so moved by her visit to Uganda

that she wanted to take a more active role. She has recently
been made Secretary of Uganda Farmers, Inc. Thank you and
congratulations, June!

Was there a difference between your expectations and your

actual experiences?

Very, very much. I had a different concept – I thought that people

were not educated and were more primitive than us. After I got
there, I saw that the people had little opportunities but they val-
ued education, especially for their children. I never saw people
work so hard and have so little to show for their efforts. What we
take for granted – our water supply, heating and cooking, wash-
ing clothes – these are all major daily tasks that occupy much of
their time and effort. Transportation is difficult – long bus rides on
poorly maintained roads, lack of clean water, and a public educa-
tional system that fails because of government mismanagement
or apathy – none of which seem to dampen the spirit of the peo-
ple.

2
Our seventh annual Running Water for Africa 5K
took place October 14, 2017 at Walnut Beach in
Milford, Connecticut. The temperature was in the
60s, making for perfect running weather.

Todd Forselius, 49, of Trumbull, finished first overall

at a time of 18:49, while Lindsey Cahill, 34, of
Trumbull, finished second overall and first in the
female division with a time of 21:13.

We would like to extend a special thank you to our

race committee members Bill Bevan, Cindy Bevan,
Shelly Gibson, Hilda Wilson, Veronica Thomas,
Donald Thomas, Jane Holler, and Dan Marecki, and
our race director, Marty Schaivone, without whom
this event would not be possible. And we especially
thank all of our sponsors, participants, and volun-
teers for helping to make this year’s event a great
success and allowing us to achieve our goal of
completing the water project in Kichwamba. 

Saturday, October 13, 2018 will mark the date of the

eighth annual Running for Water for Africa 5K walk and
run in Milford, Connecticut. It will be another quality oc-
casion with race director Marty Schaivone and MS Run-
ning Productions directing the event. There will be plenty
of music, food, and fun, so please plan on joining us!

3
While the refugee crisis in South Sudan continues, it’s
certainly not the only refugee crisis happening in Africa
right now.

Crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

have produced millions of refugees, as violence has dis-
placed over 2,000,000 people. In January 2018 alone,
20,000 people fled to Uganda to escape tribal violence.
Living conditions in the Ugandan refugee camps are
harsh, but far preferable to staying in the DRC, where Jane Holler, Dan Marecki, and June Lewis with some of the
children and sisters at the Iganga Babies Home in February
armed groups burn and pillage villages and shut down
schools, hospitals, and churches.

According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, there were
292,406 registered Congolese refugees in Uganda by the
end of 2017. 76,976 of the total amount of refugees were
located in the Rwamwanja camp in the Kamwenge Dis-
trict — the same district that Kichwamba is located in.
The United Nations and organizations such as Doctors
Without Borders are working to make life more bearable
in the refugee camps. Our drilling partner, Draco, Ltd.,
was hired to alleviate the water shortages in the camps,
redirecting their resources, thus resulting in the delay of
our Kichwamba water project. That water project is now
complete but please keep the refugees in your thoughts
and prayers. 
Babies Home Welcomes
Clothing and Support
The sisters and the children of the Iganga
Babies Home gave us a warm and heartfelt
welcome as we delivered two very large
bags of clothing to the home on our recent
trip to Uganda. We had a variety of donors,
including many from First Baptist Church in
Milford.
The children, ranging in age from newborn to
age five, were so excited and appreciative to
receive the clothing, which was so generous-
ly donated by our supporters.

We were greeted with a program of signing

and dancing by the children under the direc-
tion of sister Rose and Monica and their
dedicated staff. 

Buses in Uganda that transport Congolese refugees

4
How to Help Contact Us
Uganda Farmers, Inc. is always in need of helping hands. We thrive Uganda Farmers, Inc.
on donations and are run by volunteers, so every little bit goes a long C/o Holler & Marecki, LLC
31 Cherry Street, Suite 109
way.
Milford, Connecticut 06460

Donations E-mail us:

ugandafarmersinc1@gmail.com
If you would like to donate to our causes, you may do so by either janeh@hollerandholler.com
going onto our website at www.ugandafarmersinc.org and clicking
the “Donate Now!” button or by mailing a check with the enclosed Visit us on the web at
donation form to the address at right. www.ugandafarmersinc.org

Follow us on Facebook at
Volunteering Facebook.com/ugandafarmersinc

We are always in need of volunteers to assist with upcoming events,

spreading awareness of upcoming projects, and lending fundraising
ideas and resources. If you are interested in volunteering in any
aspect or have fundraising ideas you would like to share with us,
please contact Jane Holler by e-mail at janeh@hollerandholler.com
or e-mail our general mailbox at ugandafarmersinc1@gmail.com.

Help Uganda Farmers, Inc. Go Green

We are making an attempt to “go green” by sending news and event
invitations electronically, but we need your e-mail address to do so!
If you are interested in receiving news on our progress and
reminders for upcoming fundraising events, please provide your
name and e-mail address on the enclosed form and mail, fax, or e-
mail to us. You may also e-mail us at our general mailbox at
ugandafarmersinc1@gmail.com to let us know you would like to
be added to our mailing list. You can be taken off of our mailing list
at anytime.

5
 Milford, Connecticut 06460
HERE
STAMP 31 Cherry Street, Suite 109
PLACE Uganda Farmers, Inc.
Bringing Water to Our Brothers & Sisters in Africa
IN PROGRESS...
The Official Newsletter for Uganda Farmers, Inc. April 2018