Canaan March 21-March 31

Canaan Farm

March 21 through March 31, 2009

Our first week in Africa has been a refreshing intro to the continent.  After arriving into Uganda we had a 5-hour bus ride up to Canaan Farm.  Partly because of the excitement of coming to Africa, none of our team was really able to sleep on the plane.  However, for some reason we were able to sleep on the bus even over the pothole filled country roads.  We didn’t arrive at the farm until dark but when we got there, we were greeted with song and dance from the women at Canaan.  They were full of joy and welcomed us all as their family.  Just stepping off of the bus it is apparent that Canaan is a place of peace and refuge. 

The land that Canaan Farm is situated on is in the northern part of Uganda and houses families that have been displaced due to the war in the north.  Many of the boys on the farm have escaped from the LRA (Lords Resistant Army) who broke into their villages and kidnapped children.   Many more families have lost family members and everything they own.  They seek refuge at Canaan where they are given the chance to start over.  Canaan grows many different types of fruits and vegetables creating income for these families.

Our team slept in mud huts with grass roofs, a true Ugandan experience.  Everyday we woke up to many roasters and numerous birds.  One night about midnight a herd of cattle went through the camp.  Our food was cooked outside on a charcoal stove, as there is no electricity.  We were taken care of by two extremely hardworking women who cooked all day for us.

Thanks to friends in Colorado, we brought over heaps of clothes, school supplies and different medical and dental supplies.

While on the farm we held classes each afternoon underneath the shade trees where the bamboo jewelry is made.  Each day we were able to get to know the women and the few former child soldiers who all make the jewelry.   The classes that we held were about the difference between Ugandan markets and western markets, quality control, new techniques including how to use some of the new tools that we brought, and how they wanted to run their side of the business.  Canaan Farm has been working to teach the women how to sew, so Nicole (who went on the trip) taught them how to make bags to hold the earrings.  They turned out beautifully.