Farming, Joseline and Ugandan Economy

The team had the privilege of farming with Wilbur, the ARU Farm Manager and employee of Acres4Life.  He taught them how to care for banana trees.  They used machetes (safely) to trim dead leaves off the trees, cut down old trees and remove stumps.  Today was also the hottest day since we've arrived so it was perfect for a morning of farming.  :-)  Needless to say, lunch tasted better because it was well earned.  

We learned that the typical wage for a farmer is 3,000 shillings for a day's work that begins at 6am and ends at 6pm.  Our team worked for less than 3 hours total on the banana farm.  Keep in mind that the current exchange rate is 2,557 shillings to the dollar.

After lunch Joseline shared her story and the importance of orphan care in families instead of institutions.  Hearing about her life as an orphan you might not think she was a proponent of families caring for orphans, but because of her experiences she is committed to improving the conditions for orphans and mothers.  Her father died before she was born, and her mother died when she was 3.  She was sent to live with her grandmother at first but that began a life of moving from home to home between different family members and neighbors.  15 different homes is what she remembers but admits it may have been more.  Her life from 3 to 19 was filled with abuses by family members to horrific to share and yet because of her faith in Christ she was able to forgive every single one of them. Joseline's life is an amazing testament to her resilience, God's faithfulnes, the power of forgiveness, and the rebirth God provides through His love and grace.

The final excursion of the day was a brief walk down the street from the college to a local market.  Remember the average wage of a farmer?  We paid each of the students half a day's wage for their 3 hours of work - so they were all overpaid.  In reality, a worker isn't paid anything if they don't finish the full day.  At the tiny market they each had 1,500 shillings burning a hole in their pockets to spend as they wished.  The initial excitement turned to shock as they wandered the tiny isles and learned their money would not get them much.  Here are a few prices to help put into perspective the struggles of a farmer to provide for his family:  loaf of bread - 3,000; small jar of jam - 6,500; soda - 1,500; 1kg bag of rice - 5,000; small bag of pasta - 3,000; 9 diapers - 7,000; and a composition book for school is 3,500.  It was a meaningful lesson that the students captured and came away with a new understanding of Ugandan ecomony.

Sorry for the lack of photos the last couple days.  I will put some up in the morning.  Thank you all for your prayers.  This is truly a remarkable group of students - well done, parents.