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

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

Impact Beyond Borders: A Word from Walter

It is quite easy to under-rate the work you do and water down the achievements you make because most times we focus on “how” big the outcome is. Over time, I have appreciated that fulfillment comes in different ways-be it just affording a meal a day or putting a smile on the face of that burdened person or inspiring someone by your deeds. For the better part of my life, I have often been so drawn into completing what is before me that I have had little time to know how many people are following the work I do. 

It is not until 2022 that I knew our work as Field of Hope is not only appreciated in Uganda, but also in the other countries, notably Kenya, because the approach we employ tended to address challenges that are equally faced by their smallholder farmers. This led to the initiation of a partnership between Field of Hope and God’s Grace For All Nations (GGFAN), a Kenyan Christian Organization with a mission: “That all the 109 tribal groups of Kenya would have access to the Gospel of God’s Love through Jesus Christ.” GGFAN is using agriculture as one of the strategies to transform these communities and spread the Gospel and being a new initiative, FOH has been working with them to develop programs under agricultural department. To track the progress and maintain partnership, GGFAN invited me for a one-week visit to their base in Nyahururu. 

It is fair to say that I was impressed by the progress on the ground. I had the opportunity to interact with the pupils of Little Lambs Academy, who had started implementing agriculture curriculum that looks to embrace using agriculture to teach all other subjects-a model that they borrowed from MST Junior School in Uganda, a beneficiary of FOH Inspiring Students in Agriculture Grant. Their confidence and eloquence in speech were evident, their explanations of the management practices were accurate, and yet they did these with beaming smiles on their faces-a true expression of passion and excitement about agriculture. Other than just agriculture, it was so fulfilling seeing how the board, donor representatives, staff, and the children bonded together in the fellowship of our Lord. The Christian values and morals that have been inculcated in these kids are there to be desired. 

My major emphasis was on the agriculture department, which we helped formulate in 2022. I visited two of the 11 regional agriculture experts, hailing from Kipipiri and Isiolo regions. The 11 experts are tasked with providing extension services, Coops formation and linking the farmers across the regions to service providers and input dealers. These visits gave me a unique chance to offer expert opinions on how best they could strengthen their associations, encouraging them to stay united in pursuit of their goals, and deliver some fundamental recommendations to the organization regarding water crisis, seed-support to the cooperatives and a long-term buffer financial plan. One great initiative that was undertaken by GGFAN as part of the 2022 recommendations is the field days, where many stakeholders across the agricultural value chain showcase their technologies at Namelok Retreat Center. This event allows farmers to interact with these stakeholders and establish connections thus harnessing partnership and linkages. In my presence, we were able to brainstorm on this year’s event slated for 15th and 16th March. We also looked at their demonstration sites, which were doing exceedingly well. 

In effort to build the capacity of the agriculture experts, there was a one-day workshop where financial and extension officers and input dealers discussed the best practices, their products and services. I was happy to share with them about formation, principles, values, challenges, and sustainability of a cooperative, deriving examples from our work as Field of Hope with the farming communities. These discussions helped us to produce actionable solutions to the challenges they are facing. 

This visit also provided space to deepen the relationship between the two organizations-forging ways to further our partnership. We believe with God’s provision and guidance; we can continue to provide technical support to the GGFAN’s Ag. Department, offer supporting role to the primary school agriculture program at LLA, provide leadership training to Pastors and staff at FOH, facilitate exchange visits between the two organizations and collaborate on joint capacity building of organizations’ technical staff. 

I thank God for this opportunity and FOH, and GGFAN for allowing me to participate in this collaboration effort. I have learnt a lot and I believe this will only make both organizations better as we look to impact beyond borders. 

Okullu Walter 

FOH-Ugandan Country Coordinator 

Introducing Hunter: FOH’s Newest Fellow

We are excited to welcome Hunter Adkins to the Field of Hope family as our newest fellow! With a strong foundation in faith and a passion for agriculture, Hunter is eager to contribute to our mission of empowering communities through agricultural education and leadership development.

Hunter’s introduction to Field of Hope came through one of his mentors and our 2023 Fellow, Rebekah McCarty, who recognized the alignment between his values and our organization’s mission. Rebekah’s enthusiastic recommendation two years ago sparked Hunter’s interest, and now, as a new member of the Field of Hope community, he is eager to deepen his relationships and make a meaningful impact.

Hunter said his decision to apply for the fellowship was driven by his desire for personal and professional growth. Field of Hope’s faith-based approach and commitment to serving others through agriculture resonated deeply with him.

He said, “FOH’s values align with my own; from being faith based to wanting to serve others through the lens of Agriculture. I am ecstatic to be working within the Youth Agriculture Education and Leadership Development pillars. I can not wait to work alongside the Ugandan teams to help advance Ugandan agriculture and agriculture education. ”

Hunter’s journey to Uganda begins on July 8th, with his arrival in the country set for July 10th. He will be living in Lira and working with Field of Hope until September 23rd. During this time, Hunter is most excited about visiting schools and building strong, personalized connections with the youth of Uganda. He is passionate about teaching them more about agriculture and sharing his faith, hoping that this experience will foster mutual growth and learning.

At Field of Hope, we are delighted to have Hunter join us on this journey. His commitment to our mission and his eagerness to learn and serve inspire us all. Stay tuned for updates on Hunter’s adventures and experiences in Uganda—his journey promises to be filled with growth, discovery, and impactful connections.

Introducing Meikah: Our Newest Field of Hope Fellow

We are delighted to introduce Meikah Dado, our newest addition to the Field of Hope family! With a passion for equitable agricultural education and a heart for empowering women in agriculture, Meikah embodies the values and vision of our organization.

Meikah’s journey with Field of Hope began during her first year of her master’s program at Texas A&M University in 2020. Intrigued by the stories shared by individuals directly involved with Field of Hope, she was drawn to our mission of creating equitable opportunities within agricultural education. Since then, Meikah has actively participated in our events, including the Walk for Women 6K, and has been a dedicated supporter of our annual Sowing Seeds of Hope campaign.

What inspired Meikah to apply for the fellowship was our organization’s commitment to supporting agricultural education through three key pillars: Inspiring Students in Agriculture, Smallholder Farmer Advancement, and Leadership Development. As she delved deeper into our work and witnessed firsthand the impact of our initiatives during a visit to Uganda, Meikah’s resolve to contribute to our mission only grew stronger. Particularly drawn to our efforts in empowering women in agriculture, she eagerly anticipates the opportunity to learn and contribute in this area. She expressed this by stating, “Field of Hope is empowering individuals to choose their own path in the agricultural industry and have the skills and resources to overcome barriers they may face. Throughout my experience interacting with Field of Hope, I have admired their commitment to their values and how they have exemplified them through their sustainable work within the Ugandan agricultural industry.”

Meikah’s journey to Uganda will commence in early June, and she will be staying until the beginning of September. Throughout her time there, she looks forward to immersing herself in Ugandan culture, building meaningful relationships, and working directly alongside farmers, teachers, and students. She sees this experience as a chance for personal and professional growth, driven by the opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of those she encounters. Meikah said this experience will provide her with, “hands-on learning regarding tropical agriculture and smallholder farming that I cannot learn through a textbook. I am looking forward to the early mornings and long days, working in a field or in a classroom, trips to the market, building relationships, and asking questions.”

At Field of Hope, we are honored to welcome Meikah as our newest fellow. Her passion, dedication, and commitment to our mission inspire us all, and we cannot wait to witness the impact she will undoubtedly make during her time in Uganda. Stay tuned for updates on Meikah’s journey as she shares her experiences through future blog posts—we are certain they will be filled with both challenges and moments of profound growth. Together, let us continue empowering individuals and supporting agricultural development in Uganda and beyond.

 

Introducing Kaitlin: Our Newest Field of Hope Board Member

Field of Hope could not be more excited to introduce Kaitlin, the newest addition to the Board! With her unwavering passion for faith, agriculture, and education, Kaitlin brings a unique blend of experiences and expertise that perfectly aligns with our organization’s mission to make a positive impact on communities around the world.

When asked why she wanted to join the Field of Hope Board, Kaitlin’s response was resounding with enthusiasm. “I am excited about joining the Field of Hope Board because it is an organization that combines three of my biggest passions – my faith, agriculture, and education,” she shared. Kaitlin’s journey to this point has been shaped by her experiences, including a transformative month spent in Uganda (with us and TeachAg! Uganda), where her dedication to serving others blossomed even further. She sees her role on the board as a chance to allow God to work through her, utilizing her talents to expand the organization’s reach and enhance its impact.

As she embarks on her tenure as a board member, Kaitlin is particularly excited about the opportunity to delve deeper into the stories and foundations of Field of Hope while bringing a fresh perspective to its ongoing initiatives. “I am most excited about the opportunity to learn more about the story and foundation of the organization while hopefully bringing a new perspective to the current initiatives being implemented by Field of Hope,” she expressed. Drawing from her background in agricultural education, Kaitlin hopes to contribute valuable insights and ideas that will further support the organization’s goals, especially in garnering support from communities in the United States and promoting agricultural education.

Kaitlin’s journey toward advocating for food security began long before her involvement with Field of Hope. From her early participation in initiatives like the 30 Hour Famine by World Vision to her experiences in countries like the Dominican Republic, Malaysia, and Uganda, she has been driven by a deep-rooted desire to create a world where everyone has access to nutritious food. Her trajectory, from hosting fundraising events to studying international agriculture, has uniquely prepared her for this pivotal role on our board.

In reflecting on her journey, Kaitlin humbly acknowledges the seeds planted in her heart many years ago. “The seed for trying to develop a world where everyone has enough nutritious food was planted a long time ago in my heart,” she shared. Now, as a member of the Field of Hope Board, she is grateful to be part of an organization actively working towards this mission.

Kaitlin’s commitment to serving others and her dedication to our cause make her a valuable asset to the Field of Hope community. We are excited to see the positive impact she will undoubtedly make as she brings her passion, expertise, and heart for service to our board. Please join us in welcoming Kaitlin as we continue our journey of hope and transformation together.

Harvest Money Expo: What is it, and Why did We Attend?

What is it? 

Harvest Money Expo Conference is Uganda’s biggest agriculture and agribusiness annual exhibition event that always takes place at Kololo Independence Ground in Kampala. The event is organized annually by Vision Group in partnership with Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). The Expo started in 2017 following a successful selection of the 10 best farmers in Uganda that allowed them to travel to the Netherlands for farming exposure. The event brings together model and smallholder farmers, non-governmental organizations, agricultural government agencies, financial institutions, and agricultural private sector actors like agro-input companies, mechanization, and farm equipment dealers, agro-processors among others. The Expo takes three days and different exhibitors showcase their innovations, technologies, and new products to farmers, students, agricultural extension workers, and aspiring entrepreneurs to take farming as a business. During the event, several training sessions such as urban farming, piggery, goat rearing, dairy, poultry production, and vegetable production are always conducted by experts to equip participants with practical knowledge and skills related to agriculture.

Why do we go?

Field of Hope and Harvest Money Expo share the goal of improving farmers’ livelihoods through access to financial services, technology, and knowledge. Therefore, the Harvest Money Expo Conference provides a unique learning opportunity, creating a network and collaboration with actors in the agriculture value chains, and sharing knowledge, skills, and experiences on best practices to empower the smallholder farmers, youth, and students that Field of Hope works with. The Expo also provides a path where the Field of Staff working with schools learn about new agricultural technologies, and techniques, such as urban farming and school gardening that can be shared with partner teachers.

What did you learn? 

Harvest Money Expo presented many learning opportunities for Field of Hope staff. “During the three days at Harvest Money Expo, I was able to learn and improve my knowledge and skills on farming as a business through diversification of enterprises, value addition, marketing strategies, and risk assessment and mitigation. Exhibitors and experts demonstrated innovation and skills in a modern intensive system of growing crops and rearing animals that are climate change resilient. With this wealth of knowledge and skills gained, I hope to be in a better position to build resilience among the smallholder women farmers and youth that Field of Hope supports” Joseph Apea – Program Associate

 

“As a person who heads the Youth Agriculture Education program, the Harvest Money Expo allowed me to acquire knowledge and skills that will improve my service delivery to the teacher, the students, and the farmers. I have acquired knowledge and skills in aquaculture, poultry, goats’ management, and vegetable production. All those skills will help me in giving technical advice and monitoring the Inspiring Students in Agriculture Grants and training of farmers. I have also created connections with different companies and other private sectors that will provide genuine agricultural inputs to both partner schools and farmers” David Obong, Program Associate

What can we use for Field of Hope this year with what you both learned? 

  • Implementation of Leyi Naa Piggery Project. With piggery training sessions and a training manual from National Animal Genetic Resources Center & Data Bank during Harvest Money Expo, Field of Hope will effectively and efficiently implement the said project.
  • There are opportunities for partnership with other organizations working or supporting similar activities like Field of Hope.
  • Inspiring Student in Agriculture Grant (ISAG). Through network and collaboration, we created value chain actors like Uzima Chicken, and Grain Pulse among others, implementation of ISAG projects in different schools will be easy as these actors will provide necessary services like good breeds of chicken, feeds, seeds, and other inputs.

By: Joseph Apea & David Obong

 

 

Welcoming Our Newest Board Member: Chris Hafner

Welcome to the Field of Hope family, Chris Hafner! Chris, the son of Field of Hope’s co-founders Mike and Cathy Hafner, brings a wealth of passion, insight, and dedication to our organization as he joins us as a board member.

Chris’s journey with Field of Hope began long before his official appointment to the board. Having admired our mission and the impact we’ve made in Uganda for over a decade, Chris’s admiration grew exponentially after he had the opportunity to travel to Uganda with one of our founders, a former board member, and a Fellow. During this trip, Chris had the chance to meet and get to know our Ugandan staff, gaining firsthand insight into the universal significance of agriculture among Ugandans and its pivotal role in improving lives across the country.

Impressed by our long-term approach to building knowledge and expertise within Uganda, Chris was particularly drawn to our commitment to improving food security and economic opportunities for smallholder farmers. Witnessing the dedication and impact of our Fellow program and the response of Ugandan farmers to Field of Hope’s initiatives solidified Chris’s desire to become actively involved in supporting our efforts.

As Chris embarks on his journey as a board member, he said he is most excited about the opportunity to learn and grow alongside our organization. Chris brings invaluable expertise in business and talent development, which he hopes to leverage to contribute fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to our operations. He is eager to immerse himself in understanding how our organization operates and to explore new avenues for organizational growth and effectiveness.

With a focus on being inquisitive and open to learning from his fellow board members and our dedicated team, Chris is poised to make a significant impact in shaping the future of Field of Hope. We are honored to welcome Chris to our board and look forward to the invaluable contributions he will bring to our mission of creating sustainable change and improving lives in Uganda.