“So, How Was Uganda?”

In a couple of my previous blogs, I mentioned the importance of language in development work and international research. Whether this be introductions or using the correct terminology, the language we use to tell stories is powerful. I continue to reflect on the importance of language as I will shortly head back to the United States and get the inevitable question: So, how was Uganda?

 

It is easy to slip into an individual story narrative when asked this question, using singular language such as “I” and “me.” Yet, it was really those who accepted me into their community and shared their story that made this fellowship an impactful experience.

 

There is the story that Rachel and I shared. I bought either pineapple or watermelon from Rachel’s stand every week. Whenever I bought some fruit, Rachel would slip more watermelon into the bag with a smile and say, “this is for you.” Every time I passed her stand driving to the field or walking to the market, she would wave and say, “Hi sister!” Rachel was one of my first connections I made outside of those affiliated with Field of Hope. She made me feel at home in the Lira community.

 

Then there is the story of Barba. Barba is a young farmer from the Kwania district. On my second to last visit, she brought her maize to show me her harvest. She smiled proudly with her maize in front of her recently harvested field. She explained that before receiving agricultural extension training, when she harvested, she would just throw her maize wherever it landed, and it would get dirty. Although she’s learned many things from the training, she is most especially proud of how clean her maize is now that she knows how to properly harvest.

 

I met Reverend Tom multiple times through Leyi Naa project monitoring visits. His garden was the first one I visited in Uganda, and every time I visited, he taught me more about the crops in his garden. At our last monitoring visits, he gave me a fist bump instead of shaking hands as he explained he had just finished working in the garden. He described his hands as “farmer hands,” warming my heart as it reminded me of my own father who also has the identifiable farmer hands.

Then there is the story I share with Joseph and Agnes, who were so patient with me and encouraged my growth. At each training, Joseph would encourage me to lead the introduction, but he really was the important part of every training. He selflessly shared his knowledge with me and each group we visited.

 

When I leave Uganda, I return with countless stories of those who accepted me into their community. This experience shaped who I am as a social science researcher and global citizen. I am grateful that Field of Hope continues to invest in young people who seek global experiences. This appreciation extends to those who donate and invest their own resources into supporting Field of Hope. It is bittersweet to see my time in Uganda close, but I leave confident that Field of Hope will continue to positively impact the agricultural community in Uganda.

Meikah Dado, Fellow ’24

 

Plant the Seed and Watch it Grow

The past two weeks have been nothing more than fulfilling and impactful. These past weeks I have challenged myself in facilitating 163 Ugandan Agriculture Educators who will impact 57,913 students across the country. The Field of Hope team and I have assisted each other in planting a seed of hope, dignity, resilience, and passion in each of the cultural teachers. These teachers traveled from across the county to gather in the northern and southern districts to network, learn, and grow personally and professionally.

With teachers full of excitement to learn how they can better their teaching skills and knowledge to best serve their students. This training allowed Field of Hope to plant a seed within our Level 1 teachers and helped us water the seeds we have previously planted in our Level 2 teachers. These seeds that have been planted will grow over time and will bear many fruits which teacher and students will benefit from.

The Bible teaches us in Genesis 26:12 that the seeds we sew shall prosper because the lord has blessed us. I believe this same goes for these seeds that we have sewed during teacher training. Field of Hope planted 163 seeds within 2 weeks in agriculture teachers. Metaphorically, these seeds will become long-term fruit-bearing plants that will bear nutritious fruits. These nutritious fruits will feed knowledge and skills into students who enter these Ugandan agriculture teachers’ classrooms. With much encouragement, these teachers will create a massive impact on students’ lives. These students will impact others–from classmates to those entering the direct workforce, to becoming the next generation of business and industry leaders.

The impact that Field of Hope’s Teacher Training has is tremendous. From a staff perspective, this teacher training opened my eyes to the love, care, and willingness each teacher here in Uganda has for their classrooms. Their willingness has inspired me to be “all in” for creating change and impact in everyday life. I hope to take the love, care, and willingness that each of these teachers has back home to the ones I serve.

 

Hunter Lee Adkins, Fellow ’24

Always Learning

Within two weeks, Field of Hope trained 162 agricultural education teachers at their annual teacher training. Teachers were able to leave each day with new or more in-depth teaching skills, while also sharing some incredible local food throughout the day. The Field of Hope teacher training is structured with level one being the first year a teacher attended teacher training and level two including ones attending for the second year. With the support of Vivayic, Field of Hope creates an effective professional development opportunity for Uganda’s agricultural educators. Not only are they able to attend the training, but also leave with teacher guide’s and supplements to have agricultural education curriculum in their classroom for secondary one through three.

Our days were packed with learning activities and other opportunities to learn from each other. My time in teacher training was with the level two participants. Olivia, Joseph, Agnes, and I went over content such as creating teaching philosophies, teaching methodologies, starting an agricultural club, strategies for creating an inclusive classroom, and more. Additionally, the teachers learned from each other and created connections to other teachers throughout the country. Though I was most impressed with how these teachers took time from their short break between terms to come together and share ideas to take back to their classroom. Nobody required these teachers to come, yet they had the intrinsic motivation to take advantage of this professional development opportunity.

On the last day of teacher training, we would have the level two teachers share their teaching philosophy. The philosophies demonstrated how these teachers care for their students and expressed their value in creating an empowering learning environment for each student. Each philosophy was filled with statements such as, “I believe every student belongs in agriculture” or “I will use experiential learning to engage my learners in agriculture.” We all grew as educators within those two weeks by sharing ideas and our motivations. As a result, I am certain the impact of the Field of Hope teacher training will positively impact the lives of agricultural students in Uganda.

Meikah Dado, Fellow ’24

Ready, Set, Serve

Throughout my time here in Uganda, one of my main tasks has been developing a teachers’ guide for agriculture clubs in Secondary Schools. This guide consists of precise steps for beginning an agriculture club for teachers. Our main goal with this guide is to ensure ease and accessibility for teachers to create a successful agriculture club. It consists of the correct steps to take in planning, development, and seeking approval from admiration, a club constitution, fundraiser ideas, and leadership activities to build students’ skills. This document has been a working progress. To do this, we have conducted research to ensure we fit into Ugandan classrooms, teachers can easily underhand and comprehend, and retaining teacher and student feedback to ensure we are best serving the students and teachers of Uganda.

One of our first schools to implement our agriculture club guide is St. Gracious Secondary School. The teachers and students at St. Gracious took the risk of developing a new agriculture club from the bottom up using our guide. We are proud to share they have been successful and off to an extraordinary start!

Meet the first elected leaders of Field of Hope’s Agriculture Leadership Club! This group of enthusiastic leaders attends St. Gracious Secondary School. They embody the definition of being true leaders. They are willing to serve others, take risks, and uphold the core strengths and values a leader needs to succeed. When I first sat down with this group of talented students; I immediately could tell they had the qualities of successful leaders and upheld the qualities they needed. I could get they were Ready!

The excitement radiated in our small group discussion, with elite conversations that sparked new passions of growth– for their new agriculture club, their members, and themselves. These student leaders were Ready and Set! Set with a plan full of determination and ambition. All they have left to do is Serve!

With an ongoing Inspiring Student in Agriculture Project (ISIA), these students are prone to success. They have a prosperous poultry project where students gain hands-on learning experiences in rearing poultry, slaughtering, and preparing for consumption. These students have an entrepreneurial mindset of service to others. St. Gracious Secondary Agriculture Leadership Club Leaders work passionately to ensure great quality poultry is served to their customers who purchase their goods.

With true service, a heart of passion, and the willingness to take risks; the student leaders of St. Gracious Agriculture Leadership Club are destined for success. Seeing a group of students work extremely hard to chase a dream and create a path for themselves and others to follow is thrilling.

 

Hunter Lee Adkins, Fellow ’24

Research Ethics, Language, and Never-Ending Questions

In 2022, Field of Hope partnered with another nonprofit, Her Mighty Hands, to provide video-based extension services for women smallholder farmers. This year, Her Mighty Hands had their third growing season deploying 30 phones to women farmers groups. Essentially, my job is to evaluate this program and the effectiveness of video-based agricultural extension on a variety of variables. This fellowship allowed me to be in Uganda for three months to work with Field of Hope on other efforts and conduct this data collection. Conducting research in an international environment comes with numerous learning opportunities, yet communicating international development programs and my research has always been a challenge for me. This blog is an attempt to consolidate reflections on my education and experiences into three important considerations for those interested in international development or international research:

 

  1. Good intentions are not enough. Development work and development research are complex and there is no one size fits all approach. When conducting research with human populations, the Institutional Review Board, must approve the entire research process to ensure it is culturally appropriate and ethical. After a year of prior desk research, this process took over eight months to complete to have two IRB applications approved. This process of ethical research takes time and goes beyond promising good intentions. The topic of good intentions also applies to the programs themselves. Good intentions in international development programs can still have harmful, unintended consequences. A good example of this is the well-known story of the play pump (see resource below).
  2. Language is incredibly important. The threat of a single-story narrative about a person or country can be damaging in a variety of ways. What I write and what I say should represent how my participants would write and say their own stories. This also includes understanding and using appropriate terminology, such as using avoiding “third world” when referring to low-income and lower-middle income countries.
  3. Continue to be vulnerable and question. I have learned through my mistakes and through being pro-active in informing myself to avoid mistakes. As I finish my education and move into my career, I continue to challenge myself to question the intentions of international development and the undeniable power dynamics at play. Therefore, I also challenge you to join me in being pro-active in learning and being open to feedback to ultimately be better global citizens.

 

Finding resources that challenge our worldview is a great start to help us grow. I used a variety of resources and experiences to shape these three considerations. I encourage you to read, listen, and watch the available resources listed below to craft your own considerations. These resources and blog do not reflect the views and opinions of Field of Hope and Her Mighty Hands.

 

State of the Planet: The PlayPump: What Went Wrong?

NPR: Memo to People of Earth: ‘Third World’ is an Offensive Term

TED Talk: The Danger of a Single Story

Tiny Sparks Podcast: On a Mission to Make White People Uncomfortable

Tiny Sparks Podcast: What Can We Do about the White Savior Complex?

NGO Story Telling: Informed Consent and Ethics in Nonprofit Storytelling

EDI Global: Navigating Ethics of Field Research in International Development

Meikah Dado, Fellow ’24

Big Dreams: Let’s Chase Them

A highlight of my time here in Uganda is being able to meet with students. These students truly are the leaders of today. They embody what it means to have an eagerness to learn and to strengthen each other. I am constantly amazed by the students’ support of one another and their interests. I can confidently say that these students have big dreams!

When visiting schools, I always sit with the students to talk to them, and let them know am here to learn with them. It is lots of fun to learn about each student and their interest. After our lessons together, I get the opportunity to have a few moments of encouragement with the students. In my words with them, I began asking the question, “who is interested in starting their own business one day?” The first time I asked students this question I was immediately taken back from the response. It was a class full–with over 75 students when asked the question, and over 50 students shot up their hands in excitement. To see students with a passion and a dream of their own business was heartwarming. In every class I have walked into, I have asked this question, and it never fails that over half the class will raise their hands. The next question I ask is, “how do we turn this dream into a reality?” It’s simple, I tell students to glance around at all of the hands raised and remember them. Remember the community you are sitting with. Remember your friends when they one day take the risk to begin their business. Remember to support one another. The day the students begin to chase their dreams will be a day of renewed growth in their lives. I share a small glimpse of how I was able to begin two successful businesses, with the hopes of encouraging them to chase their own dream even more.

If we highlight young people’s success we will see a major impact on communities here in Uganda. From selling vegetables to becoming a tailor, to starting your livestock breeding program, it is important that we learn to support our young people in chasing their dreams. No matter how big of a risk these leaders of tomorrow may take, it is our job to support each other and ensure they can be successful leaders, farmers, business owners, doctors, and teachers, etc. Students must know they have the choice to follow their passions and have the support of their communities behind them to achieve these dreams.

-Hunter Lee Adkins, Fellow ’24

Dedication to Agriculture

Within the maize training manual created by the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, it states that within Uganda, it is estimated up to 40% of maize harvest is lost between the field and the market. This means for every 20 bags, at least eight bags of potential food or income for the farming household is gone. This happens for a variety of reasons, including harvesting too early or too late, improper storage, pests, etc. Consequently, at the end of the growing season, Field of Hope focuses their final trainings for the women’s groups on harvest practices and how to manage crops when they leave the field.

 

July marked the beginning of harvest season. I have traveled with Joseph, Agnes, and Robina to present harvest and post-harvest trainings to seven different groups. A trend I’ve noticed within each group is as soon as Joseph or Robina finishes writing the agenda on a tearsheet, almost every member is pulling out their notebooks to start taking notes. They keep their notebooks out for the remainder of the training as they learn about the agricultural techniques to use in their business. This action of notetaking reminds me of one of Field of Hope’s core values: dedication.

Field of Hope describes their core value of dedication as a “long-term commitment to providing and supporting sustainable solutions.” Being in Uganda for over six weeks has shown the dedication of Field of Hope staff and the women’s groups to sustainable agricultural solutions. Field of Hope is committed to providing opportunities for the members of groups to learn and supports them from beginning to end of the growing season. The members are dedicated to learning and implementing what they’ve learned in order to have long-term solutions in increasing their agricultural productivity and preventing the 40% loss.

 

I’ve seen this dedication in other aspects of Field of Hope as well. Outside of trainings, I had the opportunity to visit students and see their dedication to learning about career possibilities in the agricultural industry. At one visit, they showed us their two cows they obtained through the Inspiring Students in Agriculture Grant. The group of agriculture club leaders explained to us how they use their free time between classes to care for the cattle and are thrilled to soon welcome two calves to learn more about youngstock in cattle production.

Additionally, this past week, we began working on the urban garden at the Field of Hope office! The urban garden is an opportunity for us to practice what is taught during the training and be dedicated to furthering our own growth in agricultural practices. Such as Joseph and Robina teaching me that mixing some charcoal in the garden bed can help balance the soil pH. These examples from the field to the classroom, to the urban garden demonstrate farmers, students, and Field of Hope’s dedication to Ugandan agriculture.  Meikah Dado, Fellow ’24

Inspired by Faith

The leadership style of Jesus was simple. Jesus put others before himself, encouraged others, and served others with his whole heart. From a young age, I made it my mission to have the leadership style of Jesus; no matter where I go or what I do. I am thankful that these first few weeks here in Uganda have allowed me to do just that.

Growing up I always had a desire to serve others in a greater capacity– from selling lemonade on the side of the road or lending a helping hand to someone in need. The past two weeks here in Uganda have allowed me fulfill this desire to serve. I was able to visit several villages and meet with the women of Uganda. Hearing their stories and seeing different parts of their culture has been a highlight of my fellowship so far! As we visit villages I notice everyone I meet has something in common. They all have determination, resilience, and most importantly: Faith. Watching these women work so hard for what they have and depend on God to provide rain for their crops has inspired me.

On Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024, I received the opportunity to visit a school outside of Lira, Angelika Secondary School. It was inspiring to meet with students and observe their eagerness to learn more about agriculture. I was able to speak to the class and tell them about my life story. I urged them to find what they are most passionate about and chase their dreams. I loved getting to speak to the students and encourage them to step out of their comfort zones to chase those dreams they have, further their education, or start their own business. Their excitement fed my love for them and my love to have a leadership style of Jesus.

The leadership of Jesus was yet simple but powerful. It was a turning point for many individuals. Yes, speaking to students in a classroom or riding out to villages to watch women’s groups work extremely hard and relying upon their faith for tomorrow’s harvest may seem simple. However, I have found that leadership begins from the love of wanting to serve others and you don’t have to have a “big stage” to create impact and change others. I am full of gratitude and humbleness for my time here in Uganda. I am excited to see more of what the people of Uganda have in store for not just me but Field of Hope.

Hunter Lee Adkins, Fellow ’24

The Power of an Introduction

When I started my graduate education at Texas A&M University, I quickly learned about the dearly held traditions of the University dearly. My favorite being, “Howdy.”  To grab students’ attention in the classroom, to start an email, when you run into another Aggie at the grocery store, we use the word Howdy. It is a one-word introduction with the power to identify yourself as a part of the Aggie community.

 

Because of Howdy, before I left for Uganda, I had a goal of learning an introduction in the local language. My hope was to demonstrate to farmers that I wanted to build community and was willing to put in the work. Field of Hope staff, Agnes Obote, and junior board member Sarah McCord were gracious enough to provide two videos teaching common words and phrases in Lango. I would set time in my calendar titled “Lango time” to watch these videos and try to remember small pieces of the language.

 

Regardless of the time I spent repeating the videos, I was still very nervous when going to introduce myself. It wasn’t until the second farmers group that I grew the courage to be able to do part of my introduction in Lango, practicing over and over with the intern, Robina. While Joseph still had to repeat everything I said, the women farmers cheered and laughed (hopefully more with me, than at me). Now, I continue to add pieces of the local language to my introduction at financial literacy trainings, agriscience trainings, and to the Her Mighty Hands groups. While my Midwest accent proved difficult to hide, thankfully, Joseph is having to repeat less and less with every training.

Throughout the past four weeks, I’ve learned the value Field of Hope places on leadership development for folks within the organization. Learning this piece of Ugandan culture is possible because of the patience of Field of Hope staff, board members, and interns. Robina, Agnes, and Joseph continue to kindly correct my accent, answer my questions, and challenge me to build my vocabulary.

While Howdy helped me build community Texas, and Apwoyo is leading me to build a community in Uganda. I deeply appreciate every group’s patience and grace they give me as I learn through mistakes. It is through these introductions that I hope to show my recognition that I am in their space, their culture, and by speaking a piece of their local language, I show respect for being able to join the group and learn with them.

 

I butu aber, nyinga Meikah. Atiyu kede Field of Hope. A ya I United States of America. Apwoyo me note kede wu. Obanga mi gum!

 

Good morning, my name is Meikah. I work with Field of Hope. I am from United States of America. Thank you for having me join you. God Bless You!

 

Meikah Dado, Fellow ’24

“Work Hard, Get Smart”: Fellow Meikah’s First Few Days in Uganda

Growing up, whenever my siblings and I left for school, my mom would always tell us to “work hard, get smart.” After she dropped me off at the airport and I began my travel journey to Uganda, I kept that phrase in my mind. Now, as I am through my first week in-country, my mom was right; I am certainly going to work hard and get smart throughout the next three months in Uganda.

 

The ways I was able to work hard and get smart varied throughout the week. After arriving in Lira on a Friday, I took the weekend to become familiar with my surroundings. Including washing clothes, buying food at the market, attending church, and talking with community members. While these tasks were important, I was ready to get to work by the time Monday rolled around.

 

And boy, Monday did not disappoint. Monday included visiting the Leyi Naa project in Dokolo. With support from Field of Hope, this village is raising four sows and one boar. The most evident aspect of this visit was the pride the village had for their production. As I walked around with my camera, one farmer, Pastor Tim, would point out which plants in his garden I should take pictures of as he carefully explained to me what each one was. As we went to visit the livestock, a woman farmer pointed out a rabbit of theirs for me to photograph. And then the star of the show – the pigs. Many people from the village came to feed their pigs, and the pigs were just as excited to see them. Afterwards, the village received training from Field of Hope on preparing for breeding, bookkeeping, and biosecurity. While the purpose of extension is an opportunity for education, it also provides an opportunity for farmers to show how hard they have worked.

 

Tuesday was another day in the field and a special day for me. Since 2021, I have been a board member of Her Mighty Hands, who has been partnering with Field of Hope to provide smartphones with video-based agricultural extension to women farmers. Tuesday was the day I met participants of the Her Mighty Hands group for the first time. It is one thing to see the pictures sent by Joseph and Agnes of how the groups are doing, versus being able to visit the gardens and hear about how bringing extension curriculum to their own field impacts their ability to learn as a farmer. Extension can come in a variety of ways, and I am looking forward to hearing more about how videos have the potential to be a tool for women to access education and ultimately be more productive.

 

While Wednesday was a (much needed) office day to catch up on work, Thursday brought the opportunity to attend another extension training on financial literacy. It was this day that I realized how prepared Field of Hope staff are for the training they provide. Walter and Agnes created an effective learning environment with an interactive lesson for the women’s group. Many smiles and laughs were shared during this time, and while I could not understand the local language, Lango, I shared the smiles and laughter all the same.

To round out the week, Friday included a visit to the second Her Mighty Hands group, with a stop at another Leyi Naa project along the way. It was a week full of opportunities to see the impact of extension. Field of Hope does an incredible job at maximizing time and resources to create a significant impact. Just from this first week, I know this summer will be an incredible opportunity to work hard and get smart.

By: Meikah Dado, FOH Fellow ’24