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Take a walk with us as we transition Tamarind. Together we are REBUILDING a community recovering from poverty. We are RESOURCING a community, empowering people to take a hand up not a hand out. Follow and join us on the journey of Tamarind as we work together to break the poverty cycle in northern Uganda.

Dear Faithful Supporter We thought you might like a copy of our annual rapport 2024. There are a lot of exciting things going on with Tamarind in Northern Uganda. We are so thankful for what God has done and is doing! We look froward to exciting growth in 2025. Blessings and Peace over Christmas as we reflect on Jesus. Much love and appreciation Chris and Sarah Ochaya Restore>Rebuild>Resource.

Dear Tamarind Partner, Chris is on the ground in Uganda now! He had to leave the country due to his visa restrictions but we are grabbing the opportunity to revamp and transition the projects further. While on the ground Chris has a lot to do and will be supervising the start of a tree regeneration project at the farm. Any donation over this month would be greatly appreciated to support the hands on work Chris is doing today. Don't forget to follow us on social media ; facebook and instagram.   Thank you for your support. You make a difference. If you would like to support any part of Tamarind’s valuable, life-changing community development, please don’t hesitate to  donate now . Take advantage of June with your tax deductible donation. Thank you for joining the Tamarind journey and playing such a vital part in breaking the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda as we Restore>Rebuild>Resource. Yours sincerely, Chris and Sarah Ochaya Tamarind Founders

Dear Tamarind Partner, Tamarind thanks you for your partnership and support over this transition period.  Our family Chris is still waiting on his Australian permanent residency that was submitted in May 2023. We have been advised that it can take up to 2 years to be approved. Chris is currently on a multiple entry visitor visa that expires in October 2024, which means he has to leave the country every 3 months. This is costly financially and personally, and he is unable to work or be on Medicare. Please pray with us that his permanent residency would be granted ASAP. Chris will leave Australia at the end of May and travel to Uganda to do some intensive management and leadership in Tamarind Uganda. Currently Sarah is spending time on life admin to set up and start the next chapter in Australia. She is not working due to some health issues so we are staying with her generous parents until the end of 2024. Sarah also is continuing to do all the administration of Tamarind through the transition.  Please pray with us as we navigate the transition physically, financially, emotionally, as a family and as an organisation. On The Ground We are happy to say that good things are happening on the ground in  Uganda .  In Uganda Justine has stepped up and taken on more responsibilities in her role as  The Tribe  Project Coordinator and overseeing some Tamarind project management. She has maintained a steady flow of beaded jewelry and stock to stores, managed finances and kept production moving forward. We are super proud of how she has stepped up and forward in this transition. Scovia and Mary have followed Justine’s leadership and been supportive in the transition, development of the workshop and production at the tribe office. “One step forward and the Tribe will follow!” Patrick, Robinson, Bosco and Samson have all taken on  farming projects  that will transition them to be self-sustainable farmers and utilise the community store house at the farm completed in 2020. They have had many highs and lows as they walk through this transition and there are many things for them to discuss and navigate with Chris when he arrives at the end of May. Currently Eunice and David are on the ground supervising and Chris has been teleconferencing each evening with Eunice, David and staff. A face-to-face coaching session with Chris during the 6 weeks will move them forward to the next steps into self-sustainable farming. Project Development Chris will be doing some intensive project activities while in Uganda with the team on the ground. Preliminary work has been done to set up milking goats and tree planting at The Operations Centre (OC) and The Farm (TC). Chris will be starting the first stage of development on these projects.  Chris has a lot of  maintenance  to do as he checks on projects and facilities in Uganda. Some important repairs need to be done to the facilities in Uganda that need Chris’ oversight and governance on the ground.  Staff Sustainable Packages We continue to support the staff by paying their wages, and giving them financial loans to farm 6 acres each. We also sponsor some of their children’s school fees so they can work and create more sustainable living for their whole family.   We still need your financial support to make all this happen . Your finances make a difference to Tamarind which then makes a difference in the lives and community in Gulu, Northern Uganda. Your support financially, through prayers and being an advocate for Tamarind helps break the poverty cycle. With your help we can:  Keep kids in school so the next generation is educated. Restore a mindset of independence and believe it is possible to live and support ourselves. Rebuild a culture of farming and small business. Resource - employ staff and teach sustainable living skills and programs and rebuild a community.  Provide a physical place for healing and learning to happen that is safe and well looked after.  Change a community one person at a time with love and relationships.    Thank you for your support. You make a difference. If you would like to support any part of Tamarind’s valuable, life-changing community development, please don’t hesitate to  donate now .  Thank you for joining the Tamarind journey and playing such a vital part in breaking the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda as we Restore>Rebuild>Resource. Kind regards, Chris and Sarah

Dear Faithful Supporter,  Thank you for supporting Tamarind ! We are so thankful for you and all that you do already to support the work of Tamarind and the people in Northern Uganda. Giving Tuesday is a global  movement that is unleashing the power of people and organisations to transform their communities and the world. If you would like to be a part of this all you have to do is donate to Tamarind! "Being part of this global movement reminded me of the power of community. Never underestimate how small acts of kindness can create big change!" Restore>Rebuild>Resource. Donate now.

Dear Faithful Supporter, Thanks for all your generosity as we ended the financial year. Sarah is currently working on our Annual Report and the productivity within Tamarind is invigorating. The AR will be sent out after our AGM in October 2024. We are excited to announce that Chris now has his Permanent Residency (PR) in Australia. This means that he can now travel freely between Uganda and Australia, he can work in Australia and we can stabilize in Australia as the kids continue advancing their education. Tamarind is continuing to grow and expand and we have transitioned staff to new roles and employed 3 new staff workers. The tribe continues to be a stable self-sustainable project. All products are manufactured in country using resources from local businesses. The market base that they sell to has a good turnover of stock which sustains wages and the project. Now Sarah is in Australia, pop up shops will be happening more frequently. The next one will be at a Fair-trade market October 26th Gymea Baptist Church. Stay tuned for more to come. May you have a blessed rest of the year. Thank you for joining the Tamarind journey and playing such a vital part in breaking the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda as we Restore>Rebuild>Resource. Kind regards Chris and Sarah Founders Tamarind

Dear Tamarind Partner, TODAY! is the end of the financial year! Its never to late to give!  Today if you give a gift to Tamarind Uganda it's a gift that will keep on giving. As you give it gives us the opportunity to help give a hand up to those in Gulu Northern Uganda. We give them: an opportunity to start a small business an opportunity to learn how to be self sustainable a new skill set to change the course of their lives and their children's life, generational change an opportunity to learn new life skills that they can teach others and pay forward skills that can bring change in their village and beyond    If you would like to support any part of Tamarind’s valuable, life-changing community development, please don’t hesitate to  donate now .    Thank you for joining the Tamarind journey and playing such a vital part in breaking the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda as we Restore>Rebuild>Resource.  Kind regards   Chris and Sarah  Tamarind Founders

I (Sarah) would like to introduce you to… ‘Man’. When I first heard his name, I had a little giggle! It is a quirk of living in Uganda that sometimes the nicknames given to people are quite funny, but they always come with a story – and Man’s story is no exception. His mother is a widow, which is unfortunately not an uncommon phenomenon here in Uganda. Many people have died due to war, but also health care is very limited and deadly diseases are common; so ultimately the death rate is high, leaving a country populated by mostly widows and orphans. Man’s mother was unable to feed or care for him, and the only semblance of support he had was an aunty. So at the young age of 10, he gained his name – because he was compelled by circumstance to become a man! Man’s story with Tamarind began 2 years ago at our Operation Centre at Bardege, in Gulu (Northern Uganda). His duties involved pushing a wheel barrow most of the time, as well as any other odd jobs that needed to be done on a construction site. Over this period of time, we noticed he was a hard-working, enthusiastic young man who was always willing to help and do what was required of him. Man currently is 14, and trying to complete primary school – which by normal standards, he should have finished 2 years ago. He has fallen behind in his education due to his living situation and lack of finances. In Uganda there are public schools but they are not free - all education costs! So, without enough money for school and without anyone looking after him, Man is struggling to learn, and cannot do basic maths or reading. Our challenge is: how do we help? We do not want to become parents again; we do not want to just give finances to a 14-year-old who has no way to manage them wisely; but we do want to help Man. With so many needs and challenges in front of us, the question is how do we help Man complete his schooling as well as remain self-sufficient? This is our plan… The place we are renting has a gate house which needs to be "manned". 😉 It has its own self-contained room and electricity. During the day, Man can go to school and when he’s not at school, he can stay at the gate house to operate it, and do some extra jobs for us around the compound. In return, we will pay his school fees, and financially cover his basic needs of food, books and clothes. Chris will also do some extra educational coaching with him. Currently, Man has been in this plan with us since January 2018, and it’s working really well so far! We are excited to have sent him to his first teenage holiday camp with Watoto, and are eagerly looking forward to seeing how that may impact his life. We were able to buy him his first Bible, and we are praying that he has a life changing experience and meets Jesus – who is the ultimate MAN! This is Life in Africa – where 10-year-old children become ‘men’ and have to rise to the challenges of daily living, and without social security, or a Department of Community Services, or any kind of government assistance. Man’s story, and our journey so far with him, does seem like a drop in the ocean, but I am reminded of the parable of the lost sheep – in which the Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one. While sometimes it feels like we are living in an ocean of problems and daily life crises, we need to remember the one. And we need to remember to stop, breathe, and focus on what we can do, and just do it!

6 permanent staff, many casuals and contractors, and 2 directors is what takes to keep Tamarind going. All staff are valued and play a vital part in the daily running’s of the projects and community life. We would love your support financially and through prayer for these staff. For the month of September and October our goal is to establish a funding base for these workers. 12 monthly supporters paying $50 a month will support staff wages. Meet Robinson Meet Mary Meet Bosco Meet Scovia Meet Patrick Meet Justine Meet Robinson "The Farm" projects manager works full time! He has 4 children and has been working with us for a little over 10 years. He is our longest standing staff member at Tamarind. When he first started with Tamarind he was young and had no goals in life. We found him making bad choices that were destructive to him and his family. Since being with Tamarind he has built a home in Pagak “The Farm” and is growing crops in his home village. He now has his own family and has short- and long-term goals that he wants to reach. He started professional boxing at Gulu Boxing Club and is winning many tournaments locally and regionally. We appreciate him and Tamarind thanks Robinson for all his hard work. When we support one, they support their family. Meet Mary A project worker, she works part time, 3 days a week. She has 2 children and has been working with us for just under 1 year. Mary is very humble and polite and works hard. She is willing to learn new skills and “keeps time” as they say here in Uganda. She has a strong faith in Jesus and has grown a lot in her time with Tamarind. We appreciate her and Tamarind thanks Mary for all her hard work. When we support one, they support their family. Meet Bosco Full time community development and project worker. He has 6 children and has been working with us for a little over 1 year. He is a quiet achiever and follows leadership well. He works well with the community and is great at defusing a hostile situation within the community. He works hard and always completes tasks. We appreciate him and Tamarind thanks Bosco for all his hard work. When we support one, they support their family. Meet Scovia “The Tribe” part time worker 3 days a week She has 3 children and has been working with us for almost 1 year. Scovia is a faithful genuine lady that works diligently. She is honest and dependable. Her work in The Tribe is motivating and always a joy to be around. She conquers her challenges and rises above her storms personally and provides a stability in the workshop. We appreciate her and Tamarind thanks Scovia for all her hard work. When we support one, they support their family. Meet Patrick Full time “The Operation Center” Farm manager and project worker. He has 6 children and has been working with us for 1 ½ years. Patrick always gets the job done and looks after the animals with consistency and care. He is always willing and able to do what you ask of him. We appreciate him and Tamarind thanks Patrick for all his hard work. When we support one, they support their family. Meet Justine “The Tribe” project manager works full time. She has 4 children and has been working with us for about 7 years. We have had the joy of seeing her children grow up and they are like family to us, joining in on birthday, Easter and Christmas celebrations. Jastine is faithful, committed and hard working. She is very strong and her attention to detail and doing an excellent job makes her a massive asset to Tamarind. Personally she is like family and will always go the extra mile to do whatever she can for Tamarind and our family. She has a deep relationship with Jesus and has grown a lot in her faith over the years. We appreciate her and Tamarind thanks for all her hard work. When we support one, they support their family. Thanks to the donations of our supporters, Tamarind is able to employ our educators and community workers to bring about sustainable living practices in Northern Uganda. Please consider donating to support their continuing work to Restore, Rebuild and Resource.

Dear Tamarind Partner, We hope this Tuesday finds you well. It is International Giving Tuesday. This is a global opportunity to give to a worthwhile cause. Please donate what you can to help our program grow. At Tamarind it is our goal to become fully self sustaining in the future. We are happy to announce that one of our projects, 'The Tribe' Artisans has become 100 % self sufficient this year! We are continuously developing all of our projects to be that way within the next 5 years. This means that your donations can go further to uplift these communities. Thank you for joining the Tamarind journey and playing such a vital part in breaking the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda as we Restore > Rebuild > Resource. Yours sincerely, Chris and Sarah Ochaya Founders of Tamarind Australia

Dear Tamarind Partner, We hope you are well and everything is going well for you as the year comes to an end. We would love to catch up with you and connect with you when we come to Australia in about a month's time. As we plan to leave Uganda I just wanted to reassure you that Tamarind is not closing down or finishing up, it is the opposite of that, it is expanding. Please know that Tamarind will keep operating in Uganda and running as usual with all projects fully functioning with local staff. Chris plans to return to Uganda in June to check on all the projects and continue some management of projects. He will be checking on the projects in Uganda every 6-12 months. We also plan to send some expert educators from Australia to Uganda to develop and train our staff in areas that need development over the next 12 months. Our goal for Tamarind has always been that it is fully self-sustainable. It is a long process and is on the right track to be that in the near future. Chris and I moving to Australia is the next step towards that. We will develop Tamarind Australia so that it can work in partnership with Tamarind Uganda and both will support each other financially and in development. Thank you so much for all your support over the years. We really do appreciate it and appreciate your patience with us in this growth period of the journey. We are so excited about the future of Tamarind and development of Tamarind Australia and how that will be a sustainable answer to breaking the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda. Thank you for joining the Tamarind journey and playing such a vital part in breaking the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda as we Restore > Rebuild > Resource. Yours Sincerely, Chris and Sarah Ochaya Founders of Tamarind

Dear Faithful supporter, We are so excited about the next season of Tamarind. We would love your help as we expand and grow. Transitioning a family of 5 and setting up in Australia is a leap of faith and a stretch financially. We would really appreciate whatever you can give. We only have 1 month before we leave Uganda and some huge financial goals to meet by the end of November. After living in Uganda for 13 years and growing a family and an organization there is a lot to leave and a lot to set up. For me personally I don’t like to ask for money but the nature of what we do requires me to. It is a constant reminder that it’s not about me it’s about people and a team /village of people that can make a difference. We need $30,000 to transition the team in Uganda and set up a foundation in Australia. While this seems impossible in such a short amount of time, we believe in a God that has made a way where there is no way over and over again. Please join with us in prayer and share with us this part of the Tamarind Journey. We are so thankful for what you have already given in time and prayer and just ask that you continue to pray with us over the following: We need: 30 people to give $1000 OR 60 $500 OR 90 giving $250 If you are able to donate any amount, no amount is too little. Thanks again for joining with us in any way that you can. Yours sincerely, Chris and Sarah Ochaya Founders Tamarind