Believe in a woman.

Empower a community.

Transform a nation.

Pajule, Uganda: A town marked heavily by 20+ years of war, strain on

people’s faces, strain on the environment, strain on the sorghum and

cotton fields. To live here is a challenge and a blessing for us. The

fertile lands of the South turn north into semi-arid savannah. Drops fall

on tin as the rainy season feigns its approach. Steppes of shea nut

trees dot a landscape that sweats through every pore, while people

wipe red dust from foreheads and fend off hot, sticky air that pricks

the skin uncomfortably. But Pajule… a place of blessing in that its

residents persevere. The women are, in a few words: incredible,

strong, resilient, powerful, uplifting, empowering. The lines in

faces, calluses on hands, and cracks on heels tell the story of life as a

farmer: subsisting, working, bringing children into the world and

saying goodbye to them, saying goodbye to relatives, husbands, parts

of self that will never return, will never be found after tragedy,

unmistakable scarring of emotions, hidden under veils of a need to live

and bring forth a better future for the generation that remained, the

generation that survived. Impressions of new life, hope, a cool breeze,

dangling sorghum in the wind, puffs of white flowers indicating new

grass, new houses to be thatched, and new lives to be formed.

- Jim Kasper & Sabrina Fernandez

UAPO Mukisa Project Staff

The View from Pader, Northern Uganda....Akola Project Jewelry

Ashley Turner Photography

THE AKOLA PROJECT

Taylor Cole - Miami, FL - Eastern Uganda

AkolaProject.orgAKOLA PROJECT DESIGNS

Jinja, Eastern Uganda

Empowering women with skills to uplift their families and communitiesSERVING OVER 200 WOMEN IN FIVE VILLAGES IN EASTERN UGANDA

It is good to be back in Uganda! After studying Fashion Design at Florida State University, I brought my knowledge and skills in design to assist with the growth of the Akola Project’s new handbag collection. It’s been wonderful to revisit the familiar faces of the Akola women who have taught me much about patience and resilience. Over the past several months, we have exchanged ideas and I have integrated their traditional techniques with my modern designs. With the assistance of the women in the North and East, I have acquired two different palm weaving techniques that I have used as the foundation for the handbag designs. I am also working alongside a local leather manufacturer in order to enhance the quality and strength of the product. Throughout the process, we have sourced local materials and investigated native methods to keep the project sustainable. In doing so, I have been able to immerse myself further into the local community and learn more about the Ugandan culture. As I share the final designs with the women, I hope to empower them with an additional source of income, as well as expand their creative capabilities.

MUKISA PROJECT

Help develop sustainable programs in Northern Uganda! Donate to the Mukisa Project online at www.TheUAPO.org/donate

Pader District, Northern Uganda

The new center will provide vocational training, health, and agricultural programsSERVING THREE DISPLACED COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN UGANDA

It is incredibly difficult for me to express my emotions on completing the

Konye Keni Vocational Center. This project, from start to finish, has

been the most incredible learning experience of my life. Not only

have I learned new construction and management skills, but more

importantly I’ve learned how to work side by side with people from just

about the farthest place away from home I can imagine. The whole

UAPO experience has enriched my life in so many ways, most of

which I have yet to discover. I consider myself lucky to have been

given the chance to work on this project, but most of all I am grateful to

have witnessed this community in Northern Uganda come together and

take the next step towards a better life. -Chris Petty, Houston, TX

Dry season greetings from Northern Uganda! Sabrina and I are working with a team of two dedicated Ugandan individuals, Anthony and Jennifer, and the women who comprise the Konye Keni Women’s Group. This Spring we have established a home, office, and friendly working relationships with local leaders. New clean water wells are being drilled, and community members living near previously drilled UAPO wells are receiving water and sanitation training. Twenty - three wells have been drilled to date! Pastor Anthony has begun a ministry where he leads the women in discipleship through sermons and Bible studies. They sit listening intently, weaving Akola products. The dry season has made life hot, dusty and often challenging, but the wind brings hints of the rains to come, and the hope of an uplifting and exciting year ahead. We often linger on our verandah in the evenings, greeting people on their way to the well, quietly soaking in the resonant Ugandan sunsets. We thank God for the work that has been placed before us and pray for the strength and wisdom to start each day anew. Keep us in your hearts as we move forward with a tractor program, relationship building, and continued development of the Konye Keni center.- Jim Kasper & Sabrina Fernandez, Atlanta, GA

HOW TO SUPPORT THE UAPO

Ugandan American Partnership Organization (The UAPO) • PO Box 601528 • Dallas, TX 75360 • 214-310-0964 • www.TheUAPO.org

Believe in a woman.Empower a community.Transform a nation.

PO Box 601528Dallas, TX 75360

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDDallas TX

Permit # 777The mission of The UAPO is to actively participate in Uganda’s development through sustainable partnerships that bring Americans and Ugandans together to engage, collaborate, and learn through the love of Jesus.

Buy a Sewing Machine!

$300 will buy a machine for one of the vocational centers

Your gift will go directly towards supplies and vocational program costsYOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED TO STOCK THE NEW VOCATIONAL CENTERS!

These facilities will provide vocational training, health, and agricultural programs

www.TheUAPO.org/donate

Join us as we equip our new vocational centers in Northern and Eastern Uganda

Shop for a cause!

Shop Akola’s Summer collection www.AkolaProject.org

Donate!

Make a financial contribution www.TheUAPO.org/donate

Total Budget to Equip the New Centers: $30,000