Dekonings in Uganda
Thank you everyone for asking how we are doing through for the many ways we are able to communicate these days. This time continues to be a challenging part of our journey but our God is faithful filling us with peace, grace for each day and the wonder of His Presence. We leave the unknown future in His loving hands.
While we are a relatively small organization, we continue to want to be innovators, solution providers, problem solvers, creative thinkers. We’ve some great things happening that we’ll share…
* Genesis Agroecology Leadership Training (GALT)
* Black Soldier Flies (BSF) – A Global Solution for Nutritious Animal Feed
* Breadfruit -“the potato that grow on a tree” – a solution for nutritious food security
* Our Trees Our Future – planting and educating
* Goats Project
Cheryl Health Update
Cheryl has completed chemotherapy and radiation phases of her treatment, and is now resting and recovering in beautiful, rural Vermont at her sister’s place. I was able to be with Cheryl for her final two weeks of radiation treatments at two different hospitals. In August, we plan to go to see our kids & grandkids in British Columbia.
Cheryl will need to follow up with scans in September and consultations. Thank you, our friends and family, for praying for Cheryl, her healing and wholeness. An avid reader, she has used much of her time while staying with my family (Joyce & Hilco, Ron & Frieda) for nearly nine months, reading every good book that she could get her hands on. Also her sense of humour regularly comes out in Facebook postings!
Daily video communication between us has been wonderful. It eases the challenges of being seperated, continents apart. Thank you for your prayers for both of us.
Cheryl’s phone number in Canada is 1-226-899-5446. Her WhatsApp, Messenger and email remain the same.
Visit to British Columbia in August
We are planning to come home to BC in August staying in the Fraser Valley (Aldergrove & Chilliwack) with family. A need we have is for use of a vehicle from about Aug 6th to 24th. If you know anyone that could help us out, that would be great, an answer to prayer. After time in BC, I will return to Uganda while Cheryl will stay until she will need to go to Ontario for further tests and consultation.
Genesis Agroecology Leadership Training (GALT)
Our first five-month GALT was an outstanding success and we aim to build on it with our second GALT program starting this month with students coming from West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia) and East Africa (Uganda, Kenya) and possible from S. Sudan and DRC (Congo). Skills training with new knowledge and personal development. Head, Heart and Hands. Using a very holistic approach, we are aiming to equip young leaders to impact their communities and beyond around Africa. The principles of Agroecology can be applied anywhere in any agriculture environment.
Some of our students are able to come with full-tution, other partial and some very little. That’s where we need to provide assistance with scholarships. We appreciate any gifts that can be put towards those that want to come for training but otherwise may not be able.
Definition of Agroecology
Sustainable farming that works with nature. Ecology is the study of relationships between plants, animals, people, and their environment – and the balance between these relationships.
Agroecology is the application of ecological concepts and principals in farming.
Interns from universities and vocational institutes continue find our farm as a great place to put into practice what they are learning at school. Coming from leading agriculture programs, we always find room for those students eager to spend time with us. Great energy, curiousity, smart!
Black Soldier Flies (BSF) – A Global Solution for Nutritious Animal Feed
Thing Big – Start Small! High Price and lack of availability of key proteins is the biggest factor hindering fish, chicken & pig producers from making profits that would encourage them to continue in the business, grow and prosper. The production as of Black Soldier Flies as a key ingredient to nutritious, affordable animal feed is growing around the world, especially in Africa. Some are investing great amounts of money setting of large scale production units. We have started small with a BSF unit that produces the dry larvae for feeds, soil for gardens, and allows us to train our staff, students and others that want to set up their own BSF unit.
Now we are setting up a larger Black Soldier Fly production unit at our farm that will prove the viability (cost savings and healthier animals) of feed that uses BSF as the key protein. Major feed production is the goal of our team leader Grace Kyarimpa, who is finishing her Masters Degree on BSF and animal feed production. We will profile Grace in our next communication with you, as she is one the most amazing young agriculture leaders in Uganda.
The Breadfruit Story Continues
Breadfruit is among global solutions for nutritious food security in a world where still too many are going hungry, and not eating healthy food that results in malnutrion, stunting and poor health. Changing climate, uncertain growing seasons, too much and too little rain means we need solutions that can tolerate changes going on…. breadfruit trees.
We may have largest number of young breadfruit trees (Ma’afala variety from Samoa) growing in Africa and as the trees grow we are educating the nation on the benefits of this “potato that grows on a tree”. We are propogating as many breadfruit seedlings as fast as we can to distribute throughout the country but process is too slow. The solution is to set up a tissue-culture lab that can mass produce. the right variety for our equatorial climate.
The big vision is for every household to have at least one breadfruit tree. This will take quite an investment and partnership with people that understand breadfruit and want to be involved in a real, proven solution to nutritious food security for the poor. 90 nations already grow breadfruit, with many having it as part of their daily diet… breadfruit is new to our part of Africa. Since we introduced Breadfruit as a serious, viable, great tasting, gluten-free addition to diet a few years ago, others with more money and influence have captured the vision of growing breadfruit for the nation. We are happy to collaborate and work closely with new organizations placing breadfruit growing as a high priority.
Our Trees Our Fiture… the name says it all!
Planting trees and educating a young generation!
Our New Goat Project
50 female cross-bred goats and two males! Ask us in a year how many goats we have. Fairly easy to care for, low cost to feed, fast multiplication…
Prayer Requests & Thanksgiving
* Prayer for rest(and restoration) and continued healing for Cheryl
* Thanks for loving, supportive family and friends
* Thanks for medical staff that has so wonderfully cared for Cheryl during her treatment
* Prayer for Nick as he continues to manage our work in Uganda
* Thanks for supporting our training programs and financial assistance for students in 2024 especially the GALT program
* Thanks for your ongoing support of tree planting and creation care education
* Request for our personal support – Thank you to those who continue to assist us monthly. We are soley supported by gifts and do not receive any income from any of the work we doing in Africa. Looking ahead, we will need funds to support us for coming months until the end of the year. Our need to travel more in 2024 is also a financial need for heryl and I.
Thank you for your partnership, friendship, prayer and financial support!
Nick & Cheryl