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Hello! Meet Justine. Justine is The Tribe artisans’ full-time beading director. She has been working for Tamarind for four years and is creative and meticulous about her work. She is a single mother of three boys, sometimes bringing her son Omara with her because there is no childcare in Uganda. Whether it is rain or shine she arrives with him on her back, always so kind and considerate, never complaining about anything. Even though her life is full of challenges, she always come to work with a smile on her face and an attitude to accomplish a job well done. We are so grateful to have her on the Tamarind team and love her dedication to life no matter the circumstances. Help us continue to pay her wage, which will equip her to support her boys in getting an education so they may grow up to break the cycle of poverty. Some of our new products that you can purchase: The funds from the sale of these products enables ongoing development, business training, and stability in the lives of our employees and their families. We are working hard to continue to grow and develop, to become more effective, and to reach and train more people. We can’t do any of it without you. Partner with us to break the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda. One step forward and the tribe will follow...

Hello! We are so thankful to all of you who have been supporting us over the years. It has been some time since we have updated you, so come with us as we take a brief glance at Tamarind right now! Tamarind is in search of someone like you to partner with in a strategic vision and the future of Tamarind to break the poverty cycle in Gulu, Northern Uganda. Our aim is to bring change to this nation through mentoring, training locals in self–sustainability, and teaching business development strategies. Currently, this process happens through engagement in 3 primary projects: 1) Chicken rearing and egg production. We are raising chickens for egg production. This income will generate local jobs and enable us to teach and train up to 50 people each year in egg production, helping to develop self-sustainability for families in the community. The work has already begun and is based at our Operation Centre. 2) The Tribe Artisans. We are tapping into Gulu’s creativity and employing a number of local artisans to design unique African artwork and jewellery. Currently, we supply a popular store in the heart of Uganda and international markets in Australia and beyond. The funds from the sale of these products enables ongoing development, business training, and stability in the lives of our employees and their families. 3) Demonstration Farm. The farm teaches local people how to manage their land, raise animals, grow healthier crops, and store their harvest for the highest yield, providing farmers with the means to take good care of their families. We are working hard to continue to grow and develop, to become more effective, and to reach and train more people. We can’t do any of it without you. Partner with us to break the poverty cycle in Northern Uganda. Sarah Ochaya Founder of Tamarind Australia

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!

In the Gulu community, there is no local source of clean water. This causes children and women to take on a 10km walk every day in order to get something as simple and vital as water! This water is not just used for drinking and cooking, but it is also used for such everyday tasks as washing and cleaning. With the construction of a Borehole, the community will be able to access water, close to home, everyday. The attached photo is just a small glimpse of the families that will be effected when the borehole is completed at the Operations Centre. Our projects work with real people, teaching them real skills to rebuild, restore and resource their lives.

I am an Aussie Gal that headed to Uganda Africa in 2006 to help Orphans and Widows. To Africa with Love! And in Africa I found Love! Love the people, love the country, and fell in love! Now I am running a Community Based Organization called Tamarind with my Husband. In 2010 as we worked with survivors of war we saw the need in the community for Business Development and Self Sustainability focusing on equipping the locals within their community, through training so they can be empowered and then provide for their own families. A hand up, not a hand out! Currently we have started to build a house/office. Operation Centre Tamarind is underway! You might be asking what is this Operation Centre for?? Good question! It will be used for Offices, Volunteer Accommodation, Bead Workshop, and Directors housing. We believe that we need to put a stake in the ground to show the community that we are serious about supporting them in – REBUILDING LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY, RESOURCING LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY and RENEWING LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY. As part of this Centre we want to provide the community with a shared Bore Hole. Most locals in this area get water for drinking, washing dishes and clothes, and bathing from a dirty stream near by. The nearest Bore Hole were you can get clean safe water is 4 kilometres away. Help us help them! We want to start the Bore hole next week so don't delay and donate away! Sarah Ochaya

Dear Friends, It has been some time since we last wrote due to the busy-ness of life. 2014 was a challenging year that also brought bright blessings and some forward momentum throughout the course of our uphill battle—both personally and for Tamarind. Blessings To begin on a positive note, our son Eli was born on April 29th with the exact same measurements as Zach! They are twins, 23 months apart! Just as we were getting used to being a family of four, we received sad news from Chris’s family: His second cousin, who had just given birth to a little girl while doing promotional exams in high school, passed away. It was a sad day, but she knew Jesus and is in a better place. This situation left a little girl, one-week old without a mother. Her father was unknown, her grandfather not alive, and her grandmother HIV-positive and looking after her other daughter’s children, as she is also deceased. Unfortunately, this is a common phenomenon and story in this country we call home. The options for this baby were death or to become an orphan in a childcare institution. Chris and I had 48 hours to make a decision that would change this little girl’s life forever. We believe that God put her on our heart to make her ours! So now we are now a family of 5! 3 under 3! Little Lillie is a wonderful baby, and we are fortunate to call her ours. Every day is a challenge and hard work, but we know that in Him we can do it! We were also blessed by our supporting church, Engadine Community Church, and one of our key individual supporters who blessed us in a way we could not have hoped or imagined, they jointly gave us $25,000 towards a much -needed new car for Tamarind. We’re not sure what we would do without this vehicle that arrived in the nick of time! We were grateful to accomplish much during our four-month visit back to Australia. Our first port of call was to spend some time with Northern Beaches Christian School to visit the team that came in 2013 and meet the 2014 team. We were so encouraged by the teachers and the students. They were enthusiastic and eager to be a part of rebuilding, restoring, and renewing Northern Uganda Communities. We also spent time connecting with supporters and visiting venues promoting Tamarind, sowing the vision of what we believe God has called us to do. We continue to be so grateful to you, our friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and our supporters. In our plight to help sustain Tamarind, we conducted a couple of fundraising events in Australia: a garage sale selling off Sarah’s things that her parents had been storing for years (!) and An African lunch to celebrate the African cuisine and give Australians a taste of Africa! There were also pop-up shops to sell the recycled paper bead jewelry. Progress Despite the setbacks that are typical here, Tamarind continues its work on the demonstration farm. In early 2014, workers cleared the land and planted for wet season. We had a great team from Northern Beaches Christian School to help prepare the land and move the project forward in our effort to help local farmers with sustainable agribusiness. We were so blessed by the enthusiastic bunch of students who really wanted to know us, and the project in a personal way. Lives were changed both here in Uganda and with the students who came. Two students become Christians! Praise God! Many of the students have said that their trip was a life changing experience. Their hearts were impacted beyond their own expectations. Workers and locals that interacted and worked with the team from NBCS were inspired and motivated to move forward and create more sustainable lifestyles. Another asset to the progress of our agribusiness was made possible when A very generous individual from Engadine Community Church donated finances to buy a cultivator. Sarah has continued her work with the Greater Love paper bead project, working with the local women to produce a product to sell that will be sustainable and raise a profit for them. I have set up a new workshop space and plan to work more intentionally with local women to provide a good alternative business to farming and produce sales. Chris decided to start a new business to create some self-sustainability, and practice what we preach. We were able to purchase a truck through an individual donation and some interest-free loans from supporters in Australia. We are renting the truck out to builders and other local companies who need a truck short-term. However, it is the wet season now and business is quite slow. We’re hopeful it will pick up once projects resume after the rain. Sponsorship 13 Children and 4 trainees are being sponsored through the Tamarind back to school Program. One of our trainees who is an Orphan called Agnas, who has graduated with her teaching degree and become a teacher in a local school! When asked what she gained from working in the Tamarind Program, she replied, “I came to the understanding of knowing what I really want out of life, I also learned how to communicate and interact with people, and gained skills that help me cope in life situations.” We are so proud of her!!! Prayers As I said, this has been an incredibly challenging year. Upon our return to Uganda at the end of 2014, I became ill with Mastitis, and Amoeba, and the Flu—all at once. My health has not fully recovered, and I continue to have inexplicable, undiagnosed pain throughout my body. I also suffered through one of the hardest events of my life on December 30th , 2014. I received a telephone call from a friend who was having an asthma attack. This friend had been in my life for 5 months but was the kind of woman that changes and challenges you to be more of who God is calling you to be. From the phone call, I knew it was bad, so I grabbed a friend who is a doctor to come to her house with me. On arrival she was blue and not breathing. We performed CPR for 1 hour and got a pulse and heartbeat for 2 minutes but lost her on the way to the hospital. She left behind a husband and 3 children, one in her womb. The kids were 18 months and 5 yrs. old. Her relationship with her husband was filled with challenges, and he was abusive with mental health issues due to post-war conflict. She was American, and he was Acholi. The events that followed were just as hard; let’s just say that dealing with community is hard, complicated work. So I have suffered some mild PTSD on top of my other health issues and the hard work that comes with being a parent of three small children. Tamarind is a huge encouragement to me, but I am still dealing with a lot. As you think about our family and the Tamarind project in 2015, please pray for the following: Health: In addition to my ailments, the kids have suffered from a number of viruses this year. Please pray for our family’s health. Finances: We have added two additional members to our family and continue to try to accomplish the same work on a very limited budget. Please pray that God will provide so we can continue to make progress in our efforts in Northern Uganda. Our truck business could help to fill our budget gap, but it has been slow thus far. Please pray that it will begin to thrive. Impact: The team from NCBS is unable to come this year and there is still a great deal of work to be done. Please pray that we can find extra hands and/or accomplish the same work with fewer helpers. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Without God and his provisions from you, we truly could not accomplish anything here. We always enjoy hearing from you, so please write when you have time! Blessings, Sarah, Chris, Zach, Eli, and Lillie

2013 has been a big year! So many things have happened for us as a family and for Tamarind. For us as a family Zach first stared crawling in January and not long after was walking, and now is running around and very inquisitive about everything, especially anything musical or that has knobs and buttons. At 16 months he is over 85cm tall and is frequently mistaken for a 2-3year old. We have all been blessed with good health apart from some minor colds and flu. We have had a nice amount of time being a family of 3 and now we are preparing to become a family of 4! We have a baby due in April 2014. Chris and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary in January and it only feels like yesterday that we got married. ☺ In April my Aunt Rosemary and Uncle Bill came to visit, and it was very nice to have family around to see on the ground what we are doing. Unfortunately during their stay Nana Carne passed away. This was a great loss but a relief for her from the pain that she was in. She was an amazing woman that made a huge difference in many people’s lives and impacted our life greatly. In many ways I think my Nana has blessed us through her skills, character traits, and Christian heritage passed on by just being a faithful woman of God. She will be missed much by all. Sarah and Zach visited Australia briefly for Nana Carne’s funeral. This was a bittersweet time, bitter saying goodbye to an amazing Nana, sweet seeing friends and family. The firsts for Tamarind started in May when Chris started to get ready for our first team, who arrived end of June. They built our first training centre and planted our first pine trees. They experienced our first community celebration lunch and were the first to be involved with the Tamarind community of businesses. What an amazing experience that will never be forgotten, - thanks Northern Beaches Christian school year 11 class of 2013. Great bunch of people that will last in our hearts forever. On the practical side Tamarind has now been registered as a Community Based Organisation for 2 years, we have 3 properties that are being developed, and have a Ugandan Bank account. Chris has become the first full time worker on the project. We took a faith leap and a pay cut and Chris left his job at Watoto in February 2013 so he could focus on what God has called us to in Africa. The transition has been amazing and challenging in many ways. Amazing in that Chris has flourished in his position and the work that he is doing in the community. Challenging financially to rely completely on our Heavenly Father for all our needs. Tamarind harvested our first crops in early October. Rice, corn and beans which we are planning to sell some and use some to feed the workers that will be making bricks over Christmas. We have big plans for constructing a storehouse and mill to continue the development of the demonstration farm and training of the local community. Presently we have up to 100 builders and farmers that are working for us and participating in our program. Approximately 16 of those have completed the first training module in empowerment, discipleship and life skills. It is very exciting to see the change in the community already! This war-affected community have been influenced and impacted by NGO’s (Non Government Organisations) in many positive and negative ways. Some of the negative outflow has been that local people have become very reliant on aid to function in life, and created a dependency that disables them to function normally and be self-reliant. Chris has started to challenge this mindset and change their understanding of daily living to a more effective and future orientated perspective. The response has generally been positive and receptive; we pray this will continue in the future. Praise Points: Our ongoing good health Northern beaches Christian School support, team visit and involvement in the program. Crops that have been harvested. People that have completed the first module of training. Zach’s growth and development Prayer points: Health and well being of Sarah and her pregnancy Continued change and openness of the community to the program and understanding of Jesus love. Ongoing growth and development of Tamarind on the ground practically, financially, and spiritually Chris’s Visa A big THANK YOU to all those who support us in many different ways. You are playing a vital part in Renewing, Restoring, and Rebuilding Northern Uganda. If you have read this prayer letter and your heart has been stirred to take part in the programs through prayer or financial support please let us know, we would love to hear from you!