In 2019, James and Joseph fled their homes in South Sudan amidst fighting and unrest. Once settled in Adjumani, Uganda, they sought to reestablish rhythms and a sense of normalcy for themselves and their friends. In part, this included continuing to teach the Word of God to men and women as teachers for African Leadership South Sudan’s training program.

But by 2023 the world had changed. A global pandemic had not only caused disruption to supplies reaching the camps, but additionally, had caused international food aid programs to pull all food allocated to refugee families. The chaos and uncertainty weighed heavily on James and Joseph. Not only did it add strain to their daily lives, but the food shortages caused their program students to dwindle.

During times of severe shortages, their classes were almost non-existent as students left to find food and work opportunities in order to survive. It was into this scenario that these men told their AL network and friends about an idea. What if they bought and built a farm where the families of their students, the greater refugee and local Uganda community could all work together to feed themselves?

With the one time financial support of a western friend, and the ongoing support and mentorship of the AL network, James and Joseph purchased land and some seed. Now, they feed more than 4,000 refugee and community members on 40 acres of land in Northern Uganda.

In Joseph’s words “Imagine, God could use a refugee like me to bring more than 4,000 people together to feast and live in community.”

From a passion to teach God’s Word no matter what stood in their way, these men have created a place where families can eat, community can be experienced, and men and women can learn the Word of God unencumbered by their need for daily sustenance.