February/March 2023-2024
The women continue to reap what they sow with the garden flourishing season after season, year after year! What a huge, life changing accomplishment for the community!!
The children also continue to flourish, Community Growth managed to get 50 children back into classes for 2023! 2024 was a bit more challenging with fundraising, however we did raise enough funds to get 20 children back into school, and are hoping that was just a dip and 2025 we will be back on track!
Long term Sponsorship!!!
Just when we thought 2022 was wrapped up for the year, a beautiful couple from the Yukon, Svenja and Bryan, decided to sponsor two teenage girls, Angela and Sherry, for long term commitment. This is no ordinary sponsorship as they have decided to see these girls through all of their secondary years and even have offered to stay connected into college fees (and beyond). The girls may have to purchase some winter coats 😉
Angela and Sherry would both like to become nurses one day. From being home and unable to attend school due to fees, you can imagine how much their lives changed overnight. We can’t wait to see this beautiful story unfold.
March 2022 – Class begins, Trades Schools, and Toilets
This month Community Growth got 30 children back into classes at St Andrews School, as well as started sending some children into trades school, which was very exciting! The garden was absolutely flourishing and I was just in time for the last crop of this season, enjoying an amazing lunch of beans, skuma(kale) and sweet potato. We also built a toilet on site at the project, as many people had realized this had become a health and safety concern. Overall a very busy but absolutely incredible month!
February 2022- After 2 years of school closure Uganda schools have reopened!!!!!
Shortly after the last update, the world was put on pause……but now we are back and eager to pick up where we left off!! The garden is still flourishing, and the women have worked very hard to keep it self-sustainable. Luckily covid did not impact this at all. A few of Community Growth’s kiddos are headed to college this year, which means a more focused and smaller sponsorship program.
After this leg of college, a few will be qualified to enter the workforce, which is very exciting!! To be able to see this sponsorship program lead to employment will be incredible. And all thanks to supporters that have stood by us since the beginning.
January 2020 – Another school year begins!
Another year, another school year! The Community Growth sponsorship program continues at our partner school, St Andrews. The Grade 7 class here recently received their exam results and they were ranked #1 in all of the county, which is quite the accomplishment! Everyone was very proud.
The children are eager to learn, with hopes that this year also brings some much-needed renovations on their school.
March 10th 2019 – Information center completed!
The building of Community Growths information center has officially been completed! They worked so hard and did such a wonderful job. We are now focusing on furnishing the building and making it a more functional place for visitors and community members. The children are all settled into another school year, and focusing on doing well in order to move into the 2020 year. The garden is yielding two large, healthy crops every year and is doing fantastic. What a success!
January 8th, 2019 – Construction of the Information Centre begins
The first load of bricks has been delivered, marking the first step towards building our new info centre!
The centre will be a welcoming place for visitors, volunteers, and people from other villages to learn about Community Growth and its programs. There will be information on what crops are being grown/harvested and what crops will be planted in the coming season, as well as photos of the children that are being sponsored and those who still need sponsorship. The centre will also double as an office, where the members can work and hold meetings.
January 2019 – RETURN TO UGANDA! 🙂
The time has finally come, and I will be returning to Uganda in January 2019. The members have continued to sustain the garden and the children are all doing great at school. This trip we will try and extend the project into other areas, as we see fit. I will keep you all posted! Thank you for your continued support.
June 2017 – First Harvest of the year!
The crops look amazing. This year Community Growth is focusing on an income for the garden to continue to be self sustaining, and by the looks of the first harvest, we will have no problem with that!
February 16th, 2017 – Focusing on market and income
In September-November 2016 we planted and harvested yams, maize and beans, which were used for food security within the village. Recently we have ploughed the field and started a nursery bed for skuma (a local collard green much like kale) and next week we will be starting tindoli (very similar to small cucumbers)
Both of these vegetables have an extremely high market price, which will generate income for the ploughing and planting in June 2017. If the weather cooperates, we may even have some to put towards the craft center!
August 24th, 2016 – Last harvest completed
From this phase of the project, Community Growth can now fully fund the next ploughing, planting and amending for the next planting of crops. We are all so so proud!
June 15th, 2016 – Vegetables sold at the local market!
Skuma and french beans were sold at the local market to generate an income of 150,000 UGX (approximately $60CAD). This may not seem like much to us, but in Uganda $60 can go a very long way.
This is a huge milestone for Community Growth and is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of our members, as well as our generous donors from around the world.
The final harvest for this crop will begin in late August. The members will be using the money to prepare for the next crop in October, and hopefully put some funds towards the craft center in January.
May 16th, 2016 – The first crop of skuma harvested
The crops were healthy and plentiful. During the next harvest the members will be going to the market to sell for an income. SO exciting!
March 1st, 2016 – Planting of skuma and french beans begins
The women have begun planting the seedlings of both skuma and french beans. The dry season has begun and the water tap is coming in very handy!
February 19th, 2016 – $623 dollars raised for Community Growth
An amazing photographer from Terrace, BC has raised $623 for Community Growth! During a lovely evening of discussions about his creative progress, and specifically his incredible portraits. Thanks so much Talon!
February 2nd, 2016 – Ploughing begins
Ploughing of the land has begun in preparation for the next crop of green beans and skuma.
January 11th, 2016 – Harvest time
The women were busy harvesting the corn and beans during the month of January, it was a strenuous month!
December 7th, 2015 – WATER TAP!!
Thanks to an extremely generous donor there is now a water tap on the land! With access to safe, clean drinking water as well as an accessible way to keep crops alive during the dry season.