Ugandan Land Purchase At Planting For Hope: February Newsletter
Apollo Saku is a farmer, agricultural academic and project leader for Planting for Hope Uganda, a sustainable wealth creation programme aimed at empowering rural communities through farming and cooperative schemes.
18 February 2014
2 minute read
Here is a taste of how he is getting on…
Apollo has been involved in a recent land acquisition after a fraught winter which saw crops left destroyed in the wake of a November storm.
The purchase allows more instructive teaching to be done around sustainable agriculture, something which Apollo hopes the Kititi women will acquire and succeed in.
This comes as good news following the November storms which mean Christmas had to be saved from help overseas as few crops were left standing.
“We had our best Christmas here in Kititi, enjoying pork, vegetables, rice and matooke,” said Apollo. “What a blessing to have such good friends in England. I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to all back in UK who made this happen.”
This represented a turnaround for Apollo who predicted that Christmas would not be a ‘happy’ one.
In the New Year, money arrived to buy more land. Apollo explained that the money arrived after the cultivation work had already begun.
“When I got here the women had already slashed and burnt the land in readiness for planting,” explained Apollo. “Kate started panicking when I told her what they had done in case the cheques never arrived! But they did.”
News that the farm was going to gain land came as great news to the villagers and is thanks to donations from Pickering and Bewdley Rotary club. Sweet potatoes and maize (picutred) grow on land donated from Bewdley and Cabbages on the Pickering patch.
English charity helpers have built latrines and a shower room and also spent some time on the farm, he said. Fences have been put up and harvesting and planting work has taken place.
To find out more about Apollo and his farm in Uganda click here or contact Kate Oakley at [email protected]
