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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

Dear valued Supporters, We love that you are a part of the Tamarind journey. Please find our annual report 2023 attached. You will be able to read all the amazing things that Tamarind have been doing in 2023. Thank you for all of your continuing support to Restore, Rebuild and Resource.

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.

It has taken us some time to write this update as there has been so much to process; putting it down on paper seemed so all-encompassing that it was put on the do-it-later shelf! I’m not a natural writer; I have to get in the zone to express life on paper. I am more of a visual person that could probably make a movie rather than write a book, blog or newsletter! Here is my attempt to bring an update from us to you! In January 2020, prompted by health issues and the kids’ education situation needing to change, our family began to prepare to transition to Australia permanently, thinking that our time in Uganda was coming to an end, at least for a period of time. Little did we know that our planning was futile, and the world was about to be turned upside down. Just before the pandemic was announced and the whole world went into lockdown, we had a week to work out whether to stay in Uganda or try to get out and head to Australia. This was a difficult choice with so many variables to navigate and decisions to make. But at the end of the day the peace came in the decision to stay in Uganda. We are glad that we stayed and were able to see so many wins in the Tamarind projects and personally. In a lot of ways, it was a great place to be for lockdowns and we were able to have the space and time to finish projects and start new ones, both for Tamarind and personally. It was not all smooth sailing, however, as the whole world had its challenges. Restrictions of all kinds made life difficult and even though they were different to the restrictions on the other side of the world, there was comfort knowing the whole world was in the same situation. And we never ran out of toilet paper! For many people, Covid is a distant memory, but the effects still linger on in the lives of many others. For Tamarind, the impact has not been extremely dramatic; however, the ripple effects do still hit us from time to time. While Covid dragged on, as workers and missionaries in a developing country we were longing to return to Australia to see family, friends and supporters. Once the world opened up again, we decided to start planning a trip to Australia, not to transition at this stage; just to reconnect with family, friends and supporters that we had not seen in over 3 ½ years.  My eldest nephew was getting married in November 2022! That was the push to get our travelling spirit in gear. Our dream of being physically reunited with family, friends and supporters was about to become a reality! Paperwork for visas for Chris and Lillie was put into process and Zach’s Australian passport was renewed - not an easy task from Uganda! These are the challenges of a blended family: we’re from different cultures, and country of birth, along with the legalities connected with having an adopted child. The cost of five airfares at an extremely elevated price post-Covid was not in our budget, but we were gifted the flights by a very generous supporter and old school friend. So, the road was clear to travel once again. The journey back to Australia was full of potholes and detours, taking five days with canceled flights and layovers for days in airports along the way. Not the welcome back to travel we had hoped for, but so worth it to be embraced by friends and family in the land of Oz! We were feeling a little like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, landing after being in a whirlwind bumpy ride home. Our just under three months at home was packed with activities, including catching up with friends and family, a fundraising event, public speaking engagements and private one-on-one catch ups.  Chris did landscaping for donations and we squeezed in a quick trip to Victoria to visit friends, supporters, and farms! After returning to Uganda earlier this year from our visit to Australia, we began to look ahead to Tamarind’s future.  With a firm foundation now in place for Tamarind and a maintainable structure on top of it, as Tamarind’s founders we believe that it is the right time to transition Tamarind to its next stage of growth. We have always been a community-based organization that values longevity – building for a future generation; building something that lasts, and that can eventually stand by itself.   We are excited to say that after 12 years of hard work we are able to leave the project in the hands of a great team of Ugandans. This means some exciting changes for us as a family and for Tamarind! Our family is planning to move to Australia in November this year where we will have a year of transition, evaluation and then begin work on developing Tamarind Australia as a supporting organization for Tamarind Uganda.  Meanwhile, we have an amazing team on the ground in Uganda that will continue to RESTORE > REBUILD > RESOURCE communities to break the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda. Under the leadership of this local Ugandan team, Tamarind Uganda will continue to grow and develop, and projects will continue to run. They will not be alone as we will continue to support them from Australia. This is not the end but rather the beginning of the next chapter. It’s not the end of the road but rather the next destination. It is both exciting and sad; filled with hope and grief. Hope for the new opportunities and challenges that lie ahead and grief as we say goodbye to friends and family on this side of the world, not forever, but just to the daily hellos and life. Goodbye to the highs and lows that we share with so many, not just on a superficial level but in a deep relationship. Connections that run deeper than words and experiences; relationships and lives changed for eternity, changed to be dignified and able to stand and provide for themselves living their lives to the full. We are excited for the next chapters of Tamarind and how they will unfold, some planned and some to wait and see, like waiting to turn the page of a good novel or waiting to see the next episode of an endearing series. One thing is sure: as we continue on the journey, both personally and organizationally, the saying “home is where the heart is” rings true for us. With an eclectic, blended family, and nomadic residing in two countries, you work out what home means in a totally different perspective. Thank you to all of you, new and old, who have joined us on the Tamarind journey so far; we hope and pray you will continue to journey with us onto the next chapters or episodes! As you can imagine we have little time left before the transition and a lot to get done! If you are able to help support us financially to get ready for the next chapter of Tamarind, we would really appreciate it! All donations are tax deductible. We would love financial support for the following: Renovate Storage container - $7,000 Expenses and costs to get to Kampala before flying out - $850 Fence posts for Laliya 50 fence posts- $1000 Fence posts for Pagak 12 fence posts - $300 Out of Africa with love! Yours sincerely, Chris and Sarah Ochaya Founders of Tamarind Australia

This area was built with consultation from the local community to serve their needs. Keep up to date with all of our projects by following Tamarind Australia on Facebook and Instagram. To contribute to more projects like our community area, consider donating to Tamarind Australia's work to restore, rebuild and resource Northern Uganda.

Our annual report for 2022 includes: Chairman's report Progress updates on all of our major projects Our finance report for the year Click below to download

INTERNATIONAL GIVING TUESDAY is an amazing opportunity all over the world to give to a charity and make the world a better place! Why not join the journey and donate to TAMARIND to be a part of breaking the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Chris and Sarah Ochaya Founders of Tamarind

We would like to take a moment to thank you for supporting Tamarind. When you support Tamarind you support a community of people moving forward to break the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda. You make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities. Impacting on a personal level as well as a community level. You change the story of hopelessness to hope for a future, you change the story of helplessness to empowerment, and you change the story of being forgotten and unloved to known and loved. Thank you for playing a vital part in Tamarind. Yours sincerely, Chris and Sarah Ochaya Tamarind Founders

As the dry season comes to an end and the rain is back, it has inspired me to think about the next season, not just physically, but also about what that means for Tamarind and the community we reach. I have been thinking a lot about the legacy we leave and the longevity of what we do. In Tamarind, we have always focused on breaking the poverty cycle, not just short term, but for the next generation to come. Teaching self-sustainable practices and employing people to change mind sets has been at the core of what we do. A lot of the time, it feels like nothing is happening in dry season, but, at times, we are unaware of the changes in the hearts and minds of people. So much of what we do cannot be noted down on paper or quantified. What we do is similar to the picture of the leaf on the bottom of this page. It looks like nothing is happening to this leaf surrounded by dry, brown dirt, but it is changing into beautiful bright shades that reflect more changes on the horizon, just like the heart of those we work with. It is our hope and our vision that the skills and provision for change Tamarind offers will affect the next generation and break the poverty cycle. We hope it will allow this community the chance to live in dignity, supporting themselves and their families. Many things can distract us from spending time with and depending on God. In this culture, poverty can be one of those distractions. However, it can also draw people to God. As we work with and love the people who surround us, we share our faith and trust in God on a personal level. It is a great privilege and honor to share a living, breathing heavenly Father. This weekend, a lovely lady opened her heart to Jesus and invited Him to come walk this life with her. This is one of the most exciting things that happens here in Tamarind. Though there are constant needs no matter where you are, Tamarind believes the universal need we all have is the need for a Saviour, JESUS. He wants us to be in relationship with our loving, heavenly Father. May you all have this need meet as you journey through 2022. Our physical needs continue to grow as we serve the people here in Northern Uganda. If you are able to join with us in financial support, this would be greatly appreciated (either one off or monthly). We also have some one-off expenses we need to cover. We have not been to Australia in 4 years and would love to travel this November for a visit to see family, friends, and supporters. We are also in need of funds to top up getting a small car. This car is needed to transport our kids to school and for Sarah to run The Tribe project. Thanks for all the support you have given to Tamarind and us, and for all the support you will continue to give as we RESTORE > REBUILD > RESOURCE lives in Northern Uganda. Please join us in this journey with regular updates on Facebook and Instagram. Partner with us in this exciting, grass roots, Community Based Organisation. From the founders, Chris Ochaya and Sarah Ochaya

Dry season is December to March and equals nonstop 25 degree to 40 degree heat, cool nights and hot days, dry winds, everything in your house and car covered in orange dust, goats pigs and chickens scrounging in every garden for food, a lack of fresh vegetables, increased prices of 50% on everything, nonstop dryness, loads of fires, black ash storms all the time, washing dries in 1 hour, dry cracked feet, dry skin, moisture sucked from every part of your body, drinking loads of water, looking for every opportunity to get cool, wells dry up, water is scarce and sourced from river beds, a lot of construction is done and bricks are made! For the first time, Tamarind has made its own bricks! A lot of our farming is on hold. With no rain, irrigation is very difficult. Tamarind has some big projects coming and some of them involve construction. While we have not been able to employ people for farming, we have been able to employ men to lay bricks. There has been a team of 5-8 men working the brick process. 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- They dig the soil They wet the soil Let ferment for one week Hand put the wet fermented soil into brick moulds and carry it to be laid in the sun Cover the bricks to dry Stack in a big mound Burn the bricks using firewood All this is done by hand; no machines. Tamarind is working hard at being self-sustainable in every way that it possibly can, so we can continue to Restore a broken country, Rebuild a culture and humanity, and Resource people to break the poverty cycle. Giving a Hand up not a hand out! Please join us in this journey with regular updates on Facebook and Instagram. Partner with us in this exciting, grass roots, Community Based Organisation. Much Love and kind regards, Chris and Sarah Ochaya