ARI Family Blog

‘My passion has always been in agricultural so that I can help develop our area in the technical aspects of farming machines.’ Geoffrey strives for economic reformation and development in the Chongwe district together with the Ecumenical Development Foundation. In his community, many farmers also use nearby streams to supplement diets and income with fishing. However, conflicts arise between men and women, over who can take leadership roles. One of Geoffrey’s recent projects has been to train female ex-convicts in agricultural technology operations so that they may develop their own … Read more

“My Motivation is to live and work together for self-development as refugees.” Richard Tumwesigye is a project manager of the St. Patrick’s Refugee Center in the Kyanwali Resettlement Kikuube District, a major project by SPACID. This center hosts refugees from neighboring war-torn countries such as South Sudan, DR Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi, with many faiths, nationalities, and languages. The center lacks external support and insufficient physical resources, but Richard keeps a positive environment full of service and love for center residents. Richard manages multiple projects and activities, such as dairy … Read more

“A typical day in my community is full of meeting basic needs such as health, gathering firewood or charcoal, cooking, and agricultural activities like gardening, rearing animals, and caring for the poultry.” Otim Nebin Aron is a farming and health assistant in the orphanage St. Jude Children’s Home, where he has volunteered and assisted children with disabilities in the last five years. Otim grew up in a post-war conflict rural community facing poverty, poor health conditions, unreliable income, and lack of education. While a big part of his job as … Read more

“Living in an environment where hunger, insecurity, and illiteracy is common has touched my heart to try to respond to our needs. It all started when I visited a family who didn’t have something to eat for lunch. I then began to think of the way forward.” Ray lives and works in a community based on religion and tribal line. The strength of her community is that the people are hard-working and highly religious, with a considerable level of people with Western education. Some of the challenges are religious intolerance, … Read more

“True patience is not merely the capacity to endure a waiting period, but the strength to maintain a positive and optimistic mindset throughout the process.” Kaliyat belongs to a closely-knit community in which farming and animal husbandry are the primary sources of income. Despite their focus on self-improvement and learning, the community faces challenges such as limited equipment access, inadequate development funding, and low literacy rates. It is a diverse community with members from various religious backgrounds, including Christianity, Islam, and local tribes. As a married mother of three, Kaliyat … Read more

“Have faith in your abilities and trust in the unique strengths that reside within you.”   Sangita is a secretary and assistant to the director of Sister Home. She is deeply invested in grassroots leadership. After being inspired by her sending body, she has taken up the issue of patriarchy in her community and joined an empowerment movement that focuses on educating women about leadership and organic farming. Classes must be carefully publicized and scheduled to make them effective since many women have domestic responsibilities, and some are prohibited from attending. … Read more

“My village is in northeast Chin State, in Myanmar… my community’s livelihood is from shifting [slash-and-burn] cultivation in upland. Our strengths are that we are hardworking and help each other. Challenges are poverty, poor health, unemployment, and illiteracy.” Pa Maung’s description of his community is like many stories of village life in Myanmar or many countries – one struggling to make a living from the soil. As a pastor and farmer, Pa Maung understands the problems of his area. Since 2016 he has worked full- time for the CARD as … Read more

“I would like to improve the health systems and agricultural techniques of low-lying rural areas. My definition of “Rural” is an important role and takes place for human beings to survive healthily in the world.” Saw Hser Moo grew up working on his family farm and is now a teacher and farm manager in the Rev. Dr. R.L. Pokey Theological Bible School. “Serving in His ministry, not only to God’s but also in our human society as a holistic mission, is motivating me to work and to serve my community.” … Read more