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IN PROGRESS...

In This Issue

A LIGHT to the World—pg. 3

Bunnell HS fundraises for Babies

Home—pg. 3

St. Gabriel Church & First Baptist

Church of Milford Host Fr. Em-manuel—pg. 3

Support from First American

Title Insurance Co.—pg. 3

Running Water for Africa 5K—

pg. 4

How to Help —pg. 5 Fr. Emmanuel enjoying the snow in Connecticut. It was his first time seeing snow during his visit to the United States.

F ather Emmanuel Byaruhanga has been an

essential asset to UFI’s efforts in Uganda

for several years. Fr. Emmanuel is a

Ugandan Roman Catholic priest who is currently

working on his Doctorate in Education in Nairobi,

Kenya. The oldest of nine children from a poor,

rural family in western Uganda, Fr. Emmanuel is no

stranger to collecting water from sources miles

away from his home. To earn money for school

fees as a young boy, he would load many bundles

of bananas on his bicycle and ride twenty miles up

and down mountainous roads to the trading center.

When not studying, Fr. Emmanuel pours his ener-

gy into improving the quality of life for the rural

villages in his home country. He organized the

The Official Newsletter for Uganda Farmers, Inc. April 2016

committee to bring water to the village of

Rwesigiire and helped to establish the medical

center that caters to thousands of villagers in the

region. Fr. Emmanuel also pays the school fees

for a number of children, not only from contribu-

tions he has raised, but also from his own pocket.

He is a vital channel for giving others the oppor-

tunity to help the rural poor.

This Christmas, Fr. Emmanuel visited Connecticut

for the first time in five years and was amazed to

see snow for the first time in his life. He referred to

our brown, leafless trees as “sad trees,” since in

Africa, vegetation stays green all year round. As

sad as our trees may be in the winter, there was

nothing sad about his visit. He connected with sup-

porters and friends throughout his all too brief stay,

and we thank him for his faithfulness, his tireless

efforts in helping others, and for his love.

Fr. Emmanuel, you are “The Real Deal.”

Partner Profile: Fr. Emmanuel Byaruhanga This is the first in a series of biographical sketches of Uganda Farmer’s partners. Our partners help us to achieve our goals in all aspects of our mission, from fundraising to helping build the water projects. We thank them for their efforts.

Special Issue: A Look at Our Partners

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Bunnell Students Fundraise for Babies

Home

The students at Frank Scott Bunnell High School in

Stratford, Connecticut are starting another great

fundraiser. This month, the students in the Future

Educators Club will be selling mugs to raise money

for the Iganga Babies Home. Under the direction of

faculty advisor, Michele Croteau, the Future Educa-

tors Club completed a successful fundraiser last

year selling water cups and made a sizeable dona-

tion to Uganda Farmers to assist with our water pro-

ject in Nganiko.

We are very proud of Michele Croteau and her stu-

dents for taking the initiative to raise money for

those in need and look forward to our continuing

partnership with them! We thank you for your hard

work!

S ara Thornton is the founder of LIGHT (Let’s

Join in Giving Happiness to Children: a light to

shine on children in every corner of the world)

and a supporter of UFI. Ms. Thornton founded LIGHT

when she was just twelve years old, after donating

toys to her minister to give to children in Uganda and

realizing the joy it brought those children. LIGHT col-

lects toys, shoes, and other necessities for children in

need. She was awarded the Violet Richardson Award

in 2014 by The Soroptomist International Chapter of

Greater Bridgeport, which commended her extraordi-

nary service in the community.

As a partner of UFI, Ms. Thornton collected and donat-

ed toys and medical supplies and presented the donat-

ed items to UFI and Fr. Emmanuel for delivery to

children in Uganda. We are proud to partner with such

a wonderful organization to help bring comfort and joy

to children in East Africa. Sara, we thank you and ap-

plaud your efforts.

A LIGHT to the World

Emma Thornton, left, Fr. Emmanuel, middle, and Sara Thornton,

right, displaying the toys Sara collected

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St. Gabriel Church and First Baptist

Church of Milford Host Fr. Emmanuel

During his visit to the United States over the Christmas

holiday, Fr. Emmanuel was welcomed back to St. Gabriel

by Father Declan Creighton and Father Maurice Maroney

where he celebrated Mass and spoke to the children at

St. Gabriel School about life in Uganda. Fr. Emmanuel

has spent several summers at St. Gabriel as a visiting

priest, where he helped in the church and lived in the

church rectory before it was destroyed by Hurricane

Sandy, so it was a joy for the parish to welcome him

back.

The Missionary Ministry of First Baptist Church in Milford,

Connecticut, headed by Mrs. Carolyn Brangman, Presi-

dent, with the support of Interim Pastor Rev. Horace

Hough, also hosted Fr. Emmanuel at a reception during

his visit. Fr. Emmanuel addressed the congregation,

thanking them for their generous support of the Iganga

Babies Home and the water project in Nganiko, Uganda.

Clothing the babies and bringing water to the thirsty and

needy would be impossible without the support of individ-

uals, churches, and civic organizations. As Mrs. Brang-

man said, “We’re just carrying out what the Gospel tells

us to do.” This is truly faith in action.

Fr. Emmanuel, right, with Carolyn Brangman, middle, and

Barbara Morin, left

Donor Spotlight: First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company has

been a longtime supporter of our mission, having

been a sponsor of our 5K race in past years, and

has taken an interest in our water project in

Nganiko, for which we are very grateful. They

recently made a sizeable donation to our organi-

zation, which was presented to president of UFI,

Jane Holler, by First American Vice President and

Connecticut State Manager, Joshua Luksberg,

and Account Executive, Allison Calomino.

Thank you, First American, for your continuing

support and generosity!

First American Vice President and Connecticut

State Manager Joshua Luksberg and Account

Executive, Allison Calomino, present Jane Hol-

ler, President of UFI with a donation from First

American Title Insurance Company

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Fifth Annual Running for Water for Africa 5K Race & Walk

O ur fifth annual Running for Water for

Africa 5K race and walk was held

October 3, 2015 at Walnut Beach in

Milford, CT. Although the weather

was chilly, rainy and windy, runners

and walkers came out and braved less-than-ideal

conditions to support the cause. The race was led

with a prayer by Fr. Maurice Maroney, former pastor

of St. Gabriel Church in Milford and a longtime sup-

porter of the African water projects, which was fol-

lowed by “The Star Spangled Banner”, sung by UFI’s

own Vice President, Dan Marecki. Music was provid-

ed by John Powers, Bob Powers, and an acapella

group from First Baptist Church, which included Rich-

ard Pierce and race committee members Donald

Thomas and Dan Marecki. The overall first place win-

ners of the race were Matt Slattery, 37, of Norwalk

and Heather Bradley, 45, of Guilford, who finished the

race at 18:58 and 21:38, respectively.

The race was a collaborative effort by our race com-

mittee members Bill Bevan, Cindy Bevan, Shelly Gib-

son, Hilda Wilson, Veronica Thomas, Donald Thom-

as, Jane Holler, and Dan Marecki, and our race direc-

tor, Marty Schaivone, for whom we are eternally

grateful for their hard work and service. Some of our

headline sponsors included Attorney Tara Galbo, Hol-

ler & Marecki, LLC, Cindy and Bill Bevan, Holler Law

Firm, Betty Geller, Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, P.C.,

and Dr. Deidre Galbo, DVM, among many others, all

of who we graciously thank for their continuing gener-

osity. We also thank The Milford chapter of The Links,

Inc., who sponsored many participants and contribut-

ed a considerable donation this year.

Overall, the race was a success and we were able to

raise enough funds to begin expanding the water pro-

ject in Nganiko, Uganda. UFI is currently working on

coordinating efforts with our partners in Uganda to

see this water project to completion some time in

2016.

Heather Bradley, first place female runner

Matt Slattery, first place male runner

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Contact Us

Uganda Farmers, Inc.

Attorney Jane Holler, President

c/o Holler & Marecki, LLC

31 Cherry Street, Suite 109

Milford, Connecticut 06460

E-mail us

ugandafarmersinc1@gmail.com

janeh@hollerandholler.com

Visit us on the web

www.ugandafarmersinc.org

Follow us on Facebook

Facebook.com/ugandafarmersinc

How to Help Uganda Farmers, Inc. is always in need of helping hands. We thrive

on donations and are run by volunteers, so every little bit goes a long

way.

Donations

If you would like to donate to our causes, you may do so by either

going onto our website at www.ugandafarmersinc.org and clicking

the “Donate Now!” button or by mailing a check with the enclosed

donation form to the address at right.

Volunteering

We are always in need of volunteers to assist with upcoming events,

spreading awareness of upcoming projects, and lending fundraising

ideas and resources. If you are interested in volunteering in any

aspect or have fundraising ideas you would like to share with us,

please contact Jane Holler by e-mail at janeh@hollerandholler.com

or e-mail our general mailbox at ugandafarmersinc1@gmail.com.

Help Uganda Farmers, Inc. Go Green

We are making an attempt to “go green” by sending news and event

invitations electronically, but we need your e-mail address to do so!

If you are interested in receiving news on our progress and

reminders for upcoming fundraising events, please provide your

name and e-mail address on the enclosed form and mail, fax, or

e-mail to us. You may also e-mail us at our general mailbox at

ugandafarmersinc1@gmail.com to let us know you would like to

be added to our mailing list. You can be taken off of our mailing list

at any time — just let us know!

Did You Know?

In Africa, women and children are the primary water collectors

According to the World Health Organization, women and children

walk an average of 3.7 miles per day to collect water, which can often take up to six hours each day

A reduction in the time collecting water results in increased

school attendance for children

One third of infant mortality is caused by dehydration, much of

which results from water-borne illnesses

Uganda Farmers, Inc.

31 Cherry Street, Suite 109

Milford, Connecticut 06460

PLACE STAMP HERE

IN PROGRESS... The Official Newsletter for Uganda Farmers, Inc. April 2016

Special Issue: A Look at Our Partners

Bringing Water to Our Brothers & Sisters in Africa