Blessings

"May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall softly upon your fields,

And, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of God's hands."

A wonderful, well-known, oft-spoken Irish prayer on this St. Patrick's Day - March 17th, 2023. 

The meaning of this sentiment in Irish tradition is 

  • that the "wind' represents the breath of the Holy Spirit,
  • that the sun and rains represent love and appreciation for nature and the environment.
This week brought the rains to Muko in order to begin another planting season. In Uganda, they do not describe summer, fall, winter, spring but rainy and dry seasons. We in the US, complain and exclaim much about the weather day-to-day but in Uganda, it represents whether the farmers will be able to grow the food for their family's survival. The Muko residents work hard to plant, maintain and harvest their plots of land with basically one tool - a long-handled heavy hoe.

Like many places in the world, Uganda is being dramatically impacted by climate change. Uganda is a mostly tropical climate characterized by stable rainfall patterns. Due to climate change, Uganda is experiencing changes in rainfall patterns, more harsh droughts, soil erosion and landslides. A result of these changes is an increase in food insecurity in Africa. 

ACT is doing what we can to help them with new methodologies for planting and nutrition. 

For me, next time I grouse about the weather or visit the grocery store and feel disappointed that I can't find what I came for, I will remember my dear Ugandan friends who really "get it" about farm-to-table!







Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 17, 2023 at 7:49 AM

    The blog is such a good way to keep us connected and appreciating the living circumstances and environmental issues. I also smiled when I saw the Rotary tshirt on one gentleman in the field.😊

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 18, 2023 at 6:13 AM

    Thank you, Sue, for this article. I must keep Uganda in my prayers!

    ReplyDelete

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