The Story of $39.06
This is a short blog about high hopes. A story of education, agriculture, and how small increments of generosity can yield tremendous harvests in the lives of impoverished families a world away.
In March of 2023 a young man from Uganda, who I’d known on Facebook for several years, reached out to me to help him attend university. I spent a good deal of time tracking down and discovering the veracity of his statements, his need, and trying to help him in the best way possible. About 20 of my friends and I were able to collectively raise enough funds to get him registered in school. Since then we’ve secured a scholarship for him that will pay for the remainder of his education, cover his room and board, as well as his school supplies. His immediate educational needs have been taken care of and I remain in contact with him as he progresses.
Through that original fundraising effort I came in contact with Matthew Mbaraga, an ecclesiastical leader, a secondary school chemistry and physics teacher, and farmer in the area around Masaka, Uganda. He helped mentor our shared friend and has tried to direct him in educational choices that will lead him to a lifetime of success. Matthew himself is pursuing ongoing higher education through the BYU-Idaho Worldwide Pathways program, and we had the opportunity to speak at length about the benefits and challenges of online learning.
Approximately two months ago I reached out to Matthew and asked him if there was anyone else in his area who would be interested in pursuing an online education through the same resources that he has been able to utilize, what barriers they deal with, and if there was any way that I could help.
He told me that he knew of several people who have wanted to attend, or who have attended in the past, but who can’t afford a computer, internet access, or the tuition.
I want to take a moment here to explain what that looks like.
For Pathways students in Uganda the cost of tuition is approximately $19. That’s nineteen American dollars. The educational opportunity is subsidized heavily by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as private donations, with the intention of making a world class education available worldwide, while recognizing the financial disparity between the university and the potential students. Scholarships and zero to low interest loans are made available for students, with the entire cost of the education totaling around $4000. And students going into agriculture, along with some other community building enterprises, are fully funded. But even with that low amount, both subsidized and unsubsidized, participation is still beyond the reach of most people in Matthew’s congregation. Many people in his community struggle just to get enough food to eat. The idea of paying for an education, let alone the equipment to get that education, is far, far out of reach for most individuals.
This is where my brain storm of somehow helping gave birth to a big idea.
I asked Mathew what he’d need for the interested students to be able to get their education and he gave me a short list: somewhere to meet, computers to share, a screen and projector so many people can join a class at once, and ongoing internet access
I felt confident that I could help him pay for ongoing internet service. And probably a computer or two. But a building seemed like a big deal. So we discussed it some more. It turns out that many people in Uganda make their own bricks. He sent me photos of the house he lives in, the bricks they made to build it, and the already existing, partially constructed area where they could finish off a classroom and hold their classes. He just needed supplies.
I then asked him if there was some way for the students to create an income to help meet their financial needs. That’s when he told me about his own farm, how most people know how to grow food, but land isn’t available in the city so people can’t grow what they need. We discussed the possibility of renting a few acres to grow food. He said that with 10 acres they can do rotations of maize and beans which required no irrigation in his area. I then asked if he needed a pump and water pipes. At that, Matthew got very excited. He said that with irrigation options they could raise squash, tomatoes, and other horticultural crops. These would help alleviate the problems of hunger as well as offering something salable.
In Matthew’s own words: “We have to do projects which can help us to sustain ourselves so that in all conditions we can continue to exist.” and “The organization can remain supportive by itself in that way, projects like growing crops, brick work etc . This would provide jobs to the students and also will let the organization help itself.”
My goal is to help my new friends on the far side of the world have access to the information, education, and opportunities that will enable them to grow, thrive, and perpetuate their own growth through agriculture. Already, word has spread in Matthew’s community. What began as an outreach to a handful of individuals has grown to over 20 students. All hopeful, all ready and willing to work for their education and the benefit of their families and community.
One of those 20 students is a man named Frank. Matthew reached out to me late last week to ask me if I could help him. Frank had had to withdraw from classes earlier because he couldn’t pay the tuition. They were trying to get him logged back in, but without paying his past due bill he couldn’t proceed. So we triangulated getting access to his account. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with a nice young woman in accounting, and finally I was able to access his past due amount.
I had been worried that it would be a large sum, that perhaps because of his withdrawal from the course the entirety of the bill would be due. But it wasn’t. He owed $39.06.
Tears were streaming down my face as I paid the debt. It was such a small amount in my world. A little less than two twenty dollar bills between Frank and a better future for his family. I could afford that much. I can spare a few dollars here and there to help someone have a better life.
I’m hoping that my friends will feel the same.
I am in the process of setting up Apricot Cottage Foundation: Supporting Rural Education Through Agriculture. I am founding this organization on the foundation of ongoing education and agriculture, two things I love and have spent my life on.
So, in keeping with that, here is where I ask for you to help me help build a school in Uganda. First, I’ll outline the needs, and then I’ll outline how you can help.
- Brick making supplies- Matthew and the students will provide the physical labor, but there are supplies needed beyond just dirt in order to make bricks that will last for decades.
- Computers- We are hoping to get the funds for at least 4 computers which will then each be shared between 4-5 students.
- Screen and Projector- These will make it possible for more students to participate in classes at one time, instead of waiting for their turn on the computer.
- Land Rental cost- Matthew knows of a piece of land that can be rented for the next year.
- Seed money
- Water pump, hoses, and fittings- for irrigation of horticultural crops.
- Ongoing internet service
Matthew and his students are committed to working hard on the farm, so that the income will continue to fund their school in the future. My goal is to make this work in one area first, figure out the problems and solutions, then build more schools in other areas. Matthew is already in communication with several interested students in a town 4 hours away. We hope to set up a similar Farm/School system there sometime next spring.
I know many of you well enough to know that you’re already asking “How can I help?!” The answer is simple enough: donations go a long way. I believe that generosity is beneficial all on its own AND I believe in reciprocity, with a good being offered for a good. So here is what I am offering to you, from my own abilities, in appreciation for your generosity in helping me to make the Apricot Foundation a reality.
- For a $25 donation you will receive a hand-painted watercolor bookmark. I hope you will use it as you read, and remember that your generosity is helping someone else gain an education also.
- For a $50 donation you will receive a hand-painted acrylic wildflower painting. These will be 8×8 inch one of a kind paintings with white 12×12 mat boards around them. They will be shipped flat, ready for you to hang in a frame of your choice.
- For a $100 donation you will receive a copy of my book “Walking My Father’s Fields,” “50 Truths for 50 Years” (publish date in September, 2023), and “Bits of Stone, Seed, and Sunlight” (a collection of garden themed poetry, publish date in September, 2023)
- For a $300 donation you will receive a copy of William DeMille’s book “Worry-Free Eating” as well as a package of William’s favorite garden seed mix: a multi-species cover crop designed to build a fertile soil. It conditions the soil, makes the soil function so that you don’t need fertilizer, helps reduce pests and weeds. It is the seed mix you plant for five years, and even if you have terrible soil to begin with, if you follow the directions in his book after you plant these seeds, you’ll grow a bountiful soil.
- For a $400 donation you will receive a 24×24 hand-painted acrylic painting. These will be one of a kind and can include specific requests from the donor.
- For a $1500 donation you will receive enrollment in a 5-day, Wild Sacred Silence Retreat in Clover Valley Nevada. Food and lodging included (travel not included). Dates tentatively set for early October, 2023. Four spaces available, or 2 singles, and 2 couples.
- You are, of course, welcome to donate without receiving anything physical in return if that is your preference.
This is the model I am planning to operate my non-profit. With the sale of donated artwork, books, seeds, and silent retreats as my main source of added value. I am currently following all of the necessary steps to set up a non-profit that will be able to operate here in the USA, as well as in other areas around the world. It is time consuming, but on its way.
I hope that you will be as excited about this opportunity as I am. My life has been richly rewarded by the opportunity to help my new friends create economic independence for themselves through hard-work, quality education, and their own labor. I want to help them help themselves. Sometimes all that’s needed for good things to grow is just a little nurturing.
Thank you for considering this opportunity, and please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions. If you wish to donate, my Venmo is @Vernie-DeMille. Please specify which donation you’d like to make so that I can be sure to get your items sent to you. And please SHARE this with anyone you know who would also love to help us build a school in Uganda.
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