Janette O'Neill, Senior Program Advisor for Episcopal Relief and Development, recently returned from visiting ERD's farming projects in Uganda. "I saw families whose lives have been transformed since I first met them eighteen months ago," said O'Neill. "I visited families who were barely making a living and are now commercial farmers."

In Bunyoro-Kitara, O'Neill visited the family of Margaret and Samuel. With the help of ERD, their lives have changed dramatically.

"We were plowing half an acre of land by hand and living in a one room hut with our two children," said Margaret. "After receiving two oxen, we now plow three acres of maize and we were able to build a three room brick house," she said. "Next year, we hope to plow five acres so we can afford to send our children to a better school in town."

"ERD is making a difference to people who were completely consumed with struggling to survive. Now their lives are filled with promise, potential, and hope for a future," said O'Neill. "Families are planning, dreaming, and building the house they never thought they'd have. Because of our work here, families are giving their children an education so they can have a world of choices."

By equipping people with crops, animals, and training, ERD is providing new opportunities to rural communities in Uganda.

Episcopal Relief and Development, the premier development agency of the Episcopal Church, helps people break out of poverty by providing farmers with tools and training to help them earn an income and support their families. ERD is providing clean drinking water, improving sanitation, and protecting the environment for Ugandan communities. ERD is giving families healthy animals and seeds to grow better crops.

ERD has a history of working with churches in Africa and serves as an effective, reliable, and vital ministry of the Episcopal Church in developing communities around the world. ERD has partnered with the Church of Uganda's Planning, Development and Rehabilitation department.

To learn more about ERD's program in Uganda, read the June issue of FaithWorks at http://www.er-d.org/anewpubs.htm. To support this program or other ERD programs, donate online at http://www.er-d.org/ or call (800) 334-7626 ext. 5129.

Episcopal Relief and Development is a compassionate response of the Episcopal Church to human suffering in the world. Episcopal Relief and Development provides emergency assistance in times of disaster, rebuilds devastated communities after the immediate crisis is over, and offers long-term solutions to help people sustain safer, healthier, and more productive lives.