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Uganda
 CRWRC has been working in Uganda since 1982, and has made strong ties with two national churches there: The Church of Uganda (COU) and the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG). CRWRC is currently working in a consulting and/or funding relationship with 4 PAG districts (Katakwi, Soroti, Kaberamaido and Kumi) and the PAG (National Development Secretariat NDS), and with 6 COU dioceses ( Nebbi, Madi/West Nile, Lango, Kitgum, Bunyoro Kitara and Northern Uganda dioceses) and the National Development office.
These partners have become nationally recognized for expertise in Food security, Adult literacy, Community Based Health Care, Rural Savings and Credit, Water and Sanitation, and Environmental programs. A Community Leadership And Development (CLAD) program at Uganda Christian University has been developed to a level where mid-level managers in Uganda are gaining skills and competence in leadership.
CRWRC also facilitates the following programs: Amaranth program in Iganga with the Unity Church of Christ (supported by the Foods Resource bank), 6 business groups in the forming stage linked to Partners Worldwide, and Project Africa (a program that brings the clergy from both Church of Uganda and Pentecostal Assemblies of God together for theological training with guidance of the Timothy ministry in Calvin Seminary).
In addition to hosting 5 CRWRC-Uganda staff members, Uganda is also home to CRWRC's East & Southern Africa Relief Coordinator, Bethany Zylstra.
Population: 30,262,610 (July 2007 est.)
Area Comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon
Literacy Rate: 66.8%
Life Expectancy: 51.75 years
Population below the poverty line: 35% (2001 est.)
Gross Domestic Product per capita: $1,900 (2006 est.)
Religions: Roman Catholic 41.9%, Protestant 42% (Anglican 35.9%, Pentecostal 4.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.5%), Muslim 12.1%, other 3.1%, none 0.9% (2002 census)
Languages: English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic
(From the World Factbook. CLICK HERE for more information on Uganda)
CRWRC has three large partners in Uganda, with a variety of smaller partner organizations under each umbrella.
1. Pentecostal Assemblies of God
a) NDS (National Development Secretariat).
NDS was established in December 2004 to help harmonize the development programs existing in some of the PAG church districts, and to help church districts without functioning development offices to become more involved in holistic community outreach. During the first year, NDS has engaged PAG stakeholders in joint analysis of PAG operations and in designing the strategic direction for PAG development efforts. Challenges affecting the development programs and the strategic directions have been identified. Most of the challenges resulted from the design and implementation of policies.
b) KIDO (Katakwi Integrated Development Organization).
KIDO serves rural families of the Iteso tribe living in Katakwi and Amuria districts. Many continue to be affected by violent Karamojong cattle rustling raids and the aftermath of the even more violent and widespread incursions of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels from mid 2003 to early 2004. The Iteso culture is based on cattle, and cattle are also used for plowing fields, so the loss of these farm animals has had a severe impact on the local culture, morale and economy.
KIDO is carrying out the following programs:
- Food security through animal husbandry, providing training and credit for purchase of goats, with repayment in kind
- Food security through crop production, providing training and credit for planting of improved groundnut seeds and cassava cuttings, with repayment in kind
- Conflict resolution training for PAG pastors from the Iteso and Karamojong tribes in Amuria, Katakwi and Moroto districts.
- HIV/AIDS response programs, including:
- Prevention
- Training of PAG pastors in compassionate HIV/AIDS response to church and community members infected, affected, and at risk
- Palliative care
- Food security assistance to groups of partiicpants living with HIV/AIDS by providing them with training and credit for improved seed, goats, oxen, and plows.
- A new "bees and trees" program to provide people infected or affected by AIDS with a new source of income while also protecting and improving the environment.
c) MDP (Kaberamaido Mission Development Program).
MDP is a new PAG district development office. It serves rural families living in the recently created Kaberamaido district, the majority of whom are members of the Kumam tribe. Kaberamaido district was severely impacted by the Teso insurgency of 1986 to 1992 and by Karamojong cattle raids during this time. More recently most of the population was displaced by violent LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) incursions in late 2003 and early 2004, although most have now returned home. Like the Iteso, the Kumam culture is tied to cattle rearing, and the loss of these animals has had a deleterious impact on the culture and economy of the district.
MDP is carrying out the following programs:
- Functional adult literacy
- Savings and credit
- Food security assistance by providing training in how to grow cassava, and distributing improved cassava cuttings to those who've been trained
d) PDS (Kumi Planning and Development Secretariat)
PDS Kumi has been in operation since 1993. It serves rural families of the Iteso tribe living in Kumi district. Kumi district was not invaded by the LRA rebels in 2003, but hosted several thousand people fleeing from the conflict. The district is still recovering from the Karamojong cattle raids and Teso rebel insurgency of 1986 – 1992, when most people lost their cattle.
PDS is going through a period of readjustment and restructuring. Although it is eligible for CRWRC funds this year at a 3:1 match of local funds raised, PAG Kumi has not yet taken advantage of this offer from CRWRC Uganda.
PDS Kumi works with local community development committees under the direction of the community PAG church. However, PDS programs serve needy community members whether or not they are members of PAG. PDS has prioritized working with widows, orphans and vulnerable children, with some programs specifically geared to helping orphan headed households. PDS programs have included:
- Income generation programs throughout Kumi district through grants and credit for oxen plowing, goat rearing, cassava multiplication and horticulture.
- Protection of water sources through digging and rehabilitation of shallow wells and boreholes.
- Human rights programs, focusing on the rights of children.
- Conflict resolution workshops for community leaders and PAG pastors.
e) MDO (Soroti Mission Development Office).
Soroti MDO serves rural families of the Iteso tribe living in Soroti district and parts of Kaberamaido and Katakwi districts. The Soroti MDO was established in 1993 to deal with the aftereffects of the Teso insurgency, which badly affected the region. Parts of Soroti district were also hard hit by the LRA rebels in 2003 resulting in temporary displacement and subsequent post traumatic stress for thousands of families.
MDO programs include:
- Household income and health programs.
- Protection of community water sources and installation of household water filters.
- Support to small business groups.
- Food, seeds and tools relief for displaced families following the LRA incursions of 2003.
- Support to families with improved cassava cuttings (resistant to mosaic).
- Distribution of household items, mosquito nets, scholastic materials and clothing to displaced households.
- Distribution of oxen.
- Distribution of farming implements.
2. Church of Uganda
a) Nebbi District:
Nebbi Planning and Development Office: is the development office of the Church of Uganda in Nebbi District. This office oversees the implementation of community development programs by the archdeaconry planning and development committees. Areas this office and the committees are involved in include: Agriculture, Adult Literacy, Diaconal Training, Goat Multiplication, HIV/AIDS Awareness and Prevention, Malaria Prevention, Nutrition, Tree Nursery Management, Produce Marketing, Primary Health Care, Saving and Credit Schemes, Spring (water) Protection, Youth, and Justice.
b) Madi-West Nile Area:
Madi-West Nile Planning and Development Office: is the development office of the Church of Uganda in Arua District. There is one committee that has been serving communities in the Koboko area since 2004. The programs they implement are: Agro forestry, Agriculture, Diaconal Training, Goat Multiplication and Savings and Credit Schemes.
c) Lango Diocese -Lira:
Diocesan Planning and Development Office (DPDO): is the development office of the diocese and works in 2 archdeaconries of Aber (since 2005) and Aduku (since 2003). They facilitate the following programs in 28 communities: food security (sustainable agriculture using animal traction, increase in production of cassava for marketing and increase household income), functional adult literacy, health (environmental sanitation and personal hygiene), spiritual health (youth ministry in the church).
d) Kitgum Diocese -Kitgum:
Diocesan Planning and Development Office (DPDO): is the development office of the Church of Uganda. There is one committee under this office. They are involved in Research and Development. However, we are not actively involved at the moment due to insecurity. This is still a potential partner when security in the area in restored.
e) Bunyoro- Kitara Diocese -Hoima:
Diocesan Planning and Development Office (DPDO): is the development office of the diocese that is located in Hoima district. Programs they are involved in include: food security (Animal Traction and Sustainable Agriculture), health (water and sanitation projects and home hygiene).
There is an established committee in Bulindi community that facilitates the community in planning, implementation and program monitoring. This is done in collaboration with the diocesan planning and development committee.
f) Northern Uganda Diocese- Gulu:
Northern Uganda Planning and Development Office: is the development office of the Church of Uganda in Northern Uganda diocese, which runs one planning and development committee. They have been in operation since 2004. Programs include health (Water and Sanitation, personal hygiene),and food security (introduction of animal traction to expand on land under cultivation and enable people living in camps produce their own food to reduce dependency on relief).
3. Project Africa
Project Africa in Uganda is an expansion of the Project Africa program in Kenya. It is being implemented by CRWRC in collaboration with the Church of Uganda, Pentecostal Assemblies of God, Calvin Seminary, and Partners Worldwide. Pastors from the 5 Northern Diocese of the COU, the 5 PAG districts, and the national offices of these churches are trained in stewardship, pastoral care, christian education and Biblical interpretation.
The Amaranth Project
Grain Amaranth project has entered its second year of funding from the CFGB. Last year, the project objective was to assist 65 subsistence farmers begin to grow Amaranth both for consumption and for the sale of surplus crop. The project was very successful in Uganda and Kenya. By the end of 2006 over 650 farmers were growing Amaranth.
The experimental test undertaken in Mali in an agricultural research station was not successful. Therefore the focus of the Amaranth project will be in East Africa.
During 2007, the objective of the project is to consolidate the gains of the first year and introduce 250 farm families in semi-arid areas begin to grow and consume this extremely nutritious grain. This focuses first on growing for self consumption. Other objectives include persuading hospitals and schools to include Amaranth in their feeding programs and development of new Amaranth products for sale.
CRWRC would like to introduce its ESAMT-Uganda team.
 Tim and Rena Dam
Tim was born and raised in Niagara Falls, Canada, and is the youngest of three siblings. He is married to Rena Hamstra Dam, who grew up in Asia. They met while attending Calvin College. Since September 2004 they have lived in the eastern district of Katakwi in Uganda, where they shared a position as Program HOPE interns. Upon completing their internship, Rena accepted a job of Constituency Bridger with CRWRC. Her role is to help facilitate partnerships between North American visitors and volunteers and communities and partner organizations in East and Southern Africa. Tim is serving as a Program Advisor with CRWRC in Uganda.
Tim & Rena especially enjoy the days when they sit and laugh, dance and sing, and feel the joy of the people that they live and work with. They hope and pray that this joy will grow as the people of Katakwi work to achieve their potential as image bearers of God.
EMAIL: Rena: r.dam@crwrcuganda.org Tim: t.dam@crwrcuganda.org
 Arianne Folkema
Arianne has worked for CRWRC in Kenya as a CIDA intern. Upon completing her internship, Arianne continued to work with CRWRC as a Program Advisor. When she returned to Canada for home service in 2006, she was denied a new work permit to return to Kenya. Instead, she has accepted a temporary position as Program Advisor with CRWRC-Uganda to help fill staffing needs until a new Country Consultant is hired.
 Davis Omanyo (East/South Africa Team Leader)
Davis is the sixth born in a family of 10 children. He was born in a rural village in western Kenya, and grew up in a village called Ganjala. His parents took him to an elementary school in the village, where he attended first through seventh grade. He then joined a missionary boarding high school. Davis’s father was a teacher, and he also worked on the family farm with Davis’s mother. They held onto Christian values that they passed on to all their children.
After high school, Davis trained as a pilot - a career he held until 1982 when he joined college to train as a public health specialist. Davis worked with the ministry of health, Government of Kenya for 5 years before joining the Anglican church of Kenya, diocese of Eldoret, where he worked as a health coordinator until 1994. It was in 1994 that he came to know about CRWRC through its partnership with the Anglican Church of Kenya, Nambale diocese.
Davis started working with CRWRC in 2000 at the home office in Grand Rapids in the area of HIV/AIDS response program, after completing his masters degree in Public Health- international health, from Boston University, USA. After 9 months working in the home office, Davis moved to work in East and southern Africa region as CRWRC-regional HIV/AIDS coordinator, a position he held until June 2004 when he was hired as a Country consultant in Uganda. In 2006, he took over a new role as team leader for East/South Africa.
Davis is married to Beth Wambui Omanyo. They have four daughters -Joan, Marion, Julian and Helen. Three of their daughters (Joan, Marion and Julian) are in boarding high schools in Kenya. Davis and Beth live in Kampala with our last born daughter, Helen, who is in grade 5 this year. Beth wife works as a physiotherapist in one of the mission hospitals in Kampala. Davis and Beth were born during the same month and year but three days apart. They celebrate their birth days together.
EMAIL: d.omanyo@crwrcuganda.org
 Eric Smith
As the son of retired American Baptist missionaries, Eric was born and grew up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), what was then Zaire. Eric’s interest in Africa and in poverty alleviation developed early on due to this experience. He completed a bachelor’s degree with a double major in World History and International Studies from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana in 1998. Following his graduation, Eric returned to the DR Congo for a year-long term of service from 1999-2000 with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Based in Kikwit, Eric was seconded to the district office of the health and development organization (DESADEC) of the Mennonite church. After his experience with MCC, Eric returned to his family’s home base in Springfield, OH. Here he worked from 2001-2006 with a non-profit organization called Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC). OIC serves the poor of Clark County through employment, vocational training, alternative education, and utilities assistance programs. During this time period, Eric and Martha were married. Martha hails from Ohio, but has worked at various points in both Kenya and Rwanda. Eric joined CRWRC-Uganda in June, 2006 as a Program Consultant. He is stationed in Arua and provides support and advice to the Planning and Development Offices and Committees of Nebbi Diocese and Madi/West Nile Diocese of the Church of Uganda (COU). COU has over eight million members and reaches to all parts of Uganda. CRWRC works toward community transformation through this important Ugandan institution so that the compassion of Christ will be experienced and extended in holistic ways to all people. Eric is excited to be a part of this effort.
EMAIL: e.smith@crwrcuganda.org
 Jim Zylstra
Jim is the son of a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church. He grew up in US Midwestern cities but spent his summers on the farm in Iowa with his grandparents. During the Viet Nam War, Jim served as a hospital corpsman in the US Navy, including time in Viet Nam with the US Marines. Following this military service, Jim went back to Calvin College, where he graduated with a BA in Sociology.
Jim first worked for CRWRC in 1977, as a disaster relief volunteer in eastern Kentucky. He then became a long-term CRWRC volunteer doing community development, first in Kentucky and then in Los Angeles. Following this volunteer service, Jim became field director of the CRWRC-Haiti program in 1979, working there until 1984. After eleven years back in Grand Rapids, Jim briefly returned to CRWRC in 1995 when he worked in the Rwanda relief program following the 1994 genocide. He then went to work in Burundi for the Dutch organization Dorcas Aid. In Burundi, Jim headed Dorcas’ relief and rehabilitation program for persons displaced by the ongoing civil war. He returned to CRWRC in 1999 when he was hired to coordinate the Rwanda community development program. In 2000, Jim joined the CRWRC Uganda team.
Jim is married to Josephine Iyongat Zylstra. He has two adult sons from his first marriage - Josh and Jordan.
EMAIL: j.zylstra@crwrcuganda.org
Bethany Zylstra
Bethany hails from Uxbridge, MA, where she graduated from Whitinsville Christian HS, attended Pleasant St. CRC, and later joined her parents in a church planting in Franklin, MA (now New England Chapel). She attended Calvin College and obtained a degree in "Interdisciplinary Studies" which meant that she pieced together her favorite subjects (World History, Sociology & Religion) and took a lot of science classes, thinking she may go to medical school. That route suddenly felt very long after graduation, however, and could curb her interest in traveling and a growing passion for development. Instead Bethany pusued a Master's Degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan, specifically in Environmental Health Sciences with an Interdepartmental Concentration in Women's & Reproductive Health. She did a year long internship with a non-profit organization in Detroit, MI, CLEARCorps, exploring Health Education and Disease Reduction strategies for lead poisoning among children. Next, she joined the Peace Corps to get some long-term experience in a developing country. Bethany was a health volunteer in Iganga Town, Uganda where she was involved in various health projects, mostly through her local NGO placement, the Ugandan Red Cross. She finished her service in May of 2005 and joined CRWRC as the Regional Disaster Relief & Preparedness Coordinator in August of 2005 and is now based in Kampala, Uganda.
 Jonathan Ryskamp (volunteer January 2007-Fall 2007)
|Jonathan is completing a volunteer internship with CRWRC where he is living in Uganda in order to learn about and work with people involved in peace and reconciliation work. He is specifically focusing on the people affected by the conflict in Northern Uganda. You can read about his experiences by visiting his blog.
Take time to read a staff newsletter - direct from the field!
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