Heartwarming News for the women of Opac
Item #1: Pictured below are the leaders of Ocan Resettlement Women’s Group who were elected by over 200 women farmers in Opac to represent their interests and concerns and with whom OCHAN executives met last summer to learn of their pressing resettlement needs as well as to give them support in their agricultural efforts. These leaders are resourceful, focused, forward-looking, articulate, and determined under difficult circumstances to succeed in implementing strategies for the farmers’ success.
September 2009. L-R: Estella Elem, Yayeri Odur, Rosita Okello, Joci Okot, Lily Ocola, Karen Apio, Jente Ogwara, a guest, Bonny Boto of OCHAN
Item #2. OCHAN, through the sponsorship of St. John’s Church Mt. Washington, Baltimore, MD, received from the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland a Millenium Development Goals (MDG) grant to support reforestation and revive green commerce in Opac Village. The MDG, an initiative of the United Nations, targets the poorest of poor nations (which includes Uganda at under $825 per capita per year) with efforts to eradicate poverty by 2015. The Diocese of Maryland has further honored OCHAN by awarding it the 2010 Lenten Project, entitled “Sunflowers for Opac.” Proceeds of this education program for Sunday schools in the Diocese will be donated to OCHAN to help the women plant sunflowers again as their cash and food crop and more tree seedlings for retaining moisture in the soil as a barrier against the drying winds and as a long- term investment in the health of their environment stressed by climate change. Readers may access the project background and all lessons by clicking on the link above. Enjoy! We’d love to hear from you.