Looking out from one of many vantage points I sit in wonderment. Agriculture is only a very minute portion of the land found on the farm. Forest looms around patches of cultivation where anything from pineapples to beans might be growing; a constant reminder that Uganda is still a developing nation. There is a sort of inexplicable harmony here which coerces fleeting notions that environmental sustainability is possible. An inspiring man with an expansive understanding of agriculture lives and breathes for the people, animals and well being of the farm. His relentless dedication to this project serves as a catalyst for education about the benefits of farming God’s way and how the farm is making a significant difference in the lives of Ugandans. It wasn’t an outlandish concept, especially when one lives with the constant presence of animals, to follow a group of guys wielding machetes into the Ugandan forest. “This one is for the goats” I tell myself while a single tear slides down my cheek. An advocate for the end of deforestation, cutting trees is not exactly a hobby.
In a way however, the circumstances of the situation aided my solace. Trees that fit the parameters, but needed to be removed for further cultivation expansion, were put to good use for the goats to enjoy a larger space. Working alongside one’s peers pulling weeds, moving blanket or building a goat pen creates a beautiful opportunity to encourage and understand their unique humanity. In a way, the farm became a safe place for one to express him or herself. While not much time was spent, every hour, conversation and bead of sweat was nothing to take for granted as the farm is truly all about the love. This place, so intertwined with who we are and who we will become, has a way of leaving its remarkable impression on our lives.