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You can help us restore, rebuild and resource, to break the cycle of poverty in Northern Uganda. Donate online All gifts over $2 are Tax Deductible in Australia* Donate *For your Tax Receipt, email details of your deposit with Date, Name, Amount and your address to contact@tamarindaustralia.org.au Or, wire your donation All gifts over $2 are Tax Deductible in Australia* BSB: 062-164 ACCOUNT NUMBER: 1053 8981 ACCOUNT NAME: Tamarind Australia. ​ ​ *For your Tax Receipt, email details of your deposit with Date, Name, Amount and your address to contact@tamarindaustralia.org.au Transparency Our 2022-2023 Financial Year Expenses. ​ "Development projects " costs directly further the work of Tamarind Australia. ​ "Staff Expenses" costs indirectly further the work of Tamarind Australia. ​ View all of o ur annual reports he re .

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Our Story The Problem From 1987 to 2005 the people of Northern Uganda suffered greatly from the ongoing guerrilla activities of the 'Lord’s Resistance Army' (LRA). ​ ​ The situation became so bad that in 1996 the Ugandan Government created camps for about 2 million local village people to leave their homes and live in protected settlements called Internally Displaced Peoples' Camps (IDPs). ​ Here they lived in tents, got all supplies from international agencies and were unable to farm for food. In the camps many people went in as children, and many more were born there. Consequently, the local people lost their skills for farming and fending for themselves . Many children and adults lost their lives at these camps due to malnutrition, HIV-Aids, cholera and many other diseases. ​ However, this situation was not to be permanent. ​ ​ From about 200 5 peace t alks between the Ugandan Govt and the LRA were materialising, with a truce and ceasefires agreed and broken. However, some conflict continued until about 2007 when a new campaign was launched b y Amnesty International to negotiate through forgiveness. That’s when many rebels returned to their homes to be reintegrated in the community. ​ By 2007 the Government had closed all the IDP camps and ordered all the international agencies not to support camp dwellers with any projects. Consequently, people gradually started returning to their villages that they left over 20 years ago to start a new life. The only challenge was they had no farming skills, while infrastructure, health centers and local government were not in place. ​ In May 2010 President Obama signed into US law the 'Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act', sending in American troops who had returned from Iraq. These soldiers helped provide intelligence to the African Union forces (Amissom) to hunt for the remaining rebels, including the leader Joseph Kony, but to no avail. A whole generation of villagers has lost much of the knowledge and skills for growing food, let alone having the incentive to generate an extra income from more productive farming. Our Solution Tamarind exists to instil a mindset of independence amongst Northern Ugandan communities, rather than rely on government and NGO handouts. ​ We do this through teaching effective farming practices that increase yield, thus allowing villagers to move from subsistence farming with a focus on the present, to farming practices that enable villagers to set aside produce and funds for future needs. ​ We endeavour to change the hand to mouth survival mentality that was prevalent during the war, while respecting and restoring traditional cultural practices. ​ We choose to help people help themselves. Our Founders Chris has a degree in teaching, and has completed a farming scholarship with Rotary Australia. Chris is passionate about seeing his community break the cycle of poverty. Chris Ochaya and Sarah Ochaya are married with 3 children. Together, they started Tamarind in 2012 with the mission to restore, rebuild and resource the people of Northern Ugandan. Sarah has a degree in theology and counselling. She has been living in Uganda for 13 years and currently is the director of The Tribe (Ugandan artisan production). She is passionate about seeing those around her healed - body, mind and soul. Our Board Bruce McKay Chairman David Hoffman Treasurer / Secretary Diana Brand Member Michael Redding Member Thank you to our corporate supporters Werribee Rotary Connect Church Meredith Dairy What is our vision for the future of Northern Uganda? Learn more about our methods What are our programs achieving? Learn more about our projects

Bore Water Access Our solar powered bore water pump operates sustainably to provide fresh, clean drinking water to the whole community. ​ It was completed in 2017. This project helps restore hope to those in poverty as one of their basic needs is being met. With water they can now survive and start growing food. It resources a community to grow crops and feed themselves and their families. Funding Goal Achieved! Construction Completed 2017 Donate

We're changing lives We work with local communities, providing education in vital life skills to spark a self-sustaining journey out of poverty. Donate to further our work What we do Restore ...a culture and community that has been ravaged by war Rebuild ...a livelihood that has known nothing but poverty Resource ...marginalised communities to become self supporting Breaking the poverty cycle one person at a time We take a holistic approach to charity, investing in many small, interwoven projects. Together, they work to restore, rebuild and resource the community of Gulu in Northern Uganda. Learn more about our projects We've been creating change since 2012 Our vision to restore, rebuild and resource Northern Uganda aims to break the poverty cycle by providing communities with pathways to self-sustainability. Discover our story Sarah Ochaya Take a tour of our new community area This area was built with consultation from the local community to serve their needs. Keep up to date with all of our projects by... Our Blog Read our blog for insights into on the ground developments as they happen. You can also have it delivered straight to your inbox. Read our blog Contact Us Thanks for getting in touch! First Name Last Name Email Write a message Submit Other ways to get in touch Confused? We've compiled the questions we get asked the most, to help you out. Read our FAQs Haven't found what you're looking for yet? Use this handy search bar.

Frequently Asked Questions Do you have questions about Tamarind Australia? Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions, collected for your convenience in one place. Click on a question to be taken to the answer. What is Tamarind Australia's vision? What type of organisation is Tamarind Australia? Who are Chris and Sarah? What do Chris and Sarah do in Uganda? Who works for Tamarind Australia? What is Tamarind Australia working on at the moment? Where in Uganda does Tamarind Australia operate? Is Tamarind Australia a Christian organisation? Are charity donations tax deductible? How does Tamarind Australia use its funds? What is Tamarind Australia named after? What can I do to help Tamarind Australia? What is Tamarind Australia's vision? Tamarind Australia's Vision is for Northern Ugandan communities to become sustainable and self-supporting , restoring dignity to individuals and healing the poverty cycle. What type of organisation is Tamarind Australia? Tamarind Australia is a non-profit unincorporated association registered in Australia and administered by a volunteer board , chaired by Bruce McKay. It exists to alleviate poverty with a particular focus on Northern Uganda. Who are Chris and Sarah? Chris Ochaya and Sarah Ochaya are the founders of Tamarind Australia. They are a married couple living in Gulu, Northern Uganda. What do Chris and Sarah do in Uganda? Chris and Sarah, along with their local employees , teach communities skills vital for self-sufficiency. Who works for Tamarind Australia? Our founders work closely with a group of local employees in Uganda, with the support of our Australia based volunteer board . What is Tamarind Australia working on at the moment? Our continuous programs at The Tribe, The Operations Centre and The Demonstration Farm are always in action. Other projects often have set completion milestones. Check out our projects page or follow us on social media for more detailed and regular updates. Where in Uganda does Tamarind Australia operate? Our efforts are focused in Gulu in Northern Uganda due to the profound impacts of war upon the community there. Our operations centre is 5 kilometres north-east of Gulu town centre, and our demonstration farm is 26 kilometres to the north-east. Uganda's capital city Kampala is about 285 kilometres south of Gulu. Is Tamarind Australia a Christian organisation? Although this organisation is run by a group of committed Christians and supported by a network of Christian churches, it is not officially a Christian organisation. Our focus is on community development, not on evangelism. Are charity donations tax deductible? In Australia, yes. Any donation over $2 is tax deductible. To receive your Tax Receipt of your donation to Tamarind Australia, email details of your deposit (with Date, Name and Amount and your address) to contact@tamarindaustralia.org.au Donate here How does Tamarind Australia use its funds? In 2022, 62.7% of our expenses went directly into our projects . 36.4% of our expenses went toward living and maintenance. 0.9% went to bank fees. What is Tamarind Australia named after? The Tamarind tree! It is native to Africa and is one of the strongest trees on the continent - not even an elephant can knock it down! It produces fruit for the local community, shade for animals and perches for birds. Like its namesake, Tamarind Australia is a strong organisation whose presence in Northern Uganda provides sustenance, shelter and supports the local community , helping them to grow and develop into a thriving people group. What can I do to help Tamarind Australia? If you have the means to, you can donate right here on the website. The Tribe have jewellery available to purchase in certain regions. Follow us on social media and spread the word.

Construction of the Operations Centre The Operation Centre is located 5 kilometres north-east of Gulu town centre and is purpose built to target over 100 local villages within the Bardege area. ​ The Operation Centre is a base for Tamarind staff, a workshop space for The Tribe Artisans and a place to continue to work with individuals and small groups in training and developing future agricultural and live stock based projects. The Operation Centre is crucial as we aim to break the poverty cycle by leading people to become self-sufficient through individual businesses. We help rebuild a strong work ethic in individuals and the wider community, and having a home base like the Operation Centre means we can be more effective in bringing positive change to Uganda. Funding Goal Achieved! Construction Completed October 2020 Donate

Construction of Storehouse In northern Uganda, village life is one of survival and people have very little money – with less than a dollar a day. There are distinct wet and dry seasons. From December to early April the weather is dry and hot. With a lack of water, crops are unable to be grown. For food, the villages have to use whatever they have stored in their homes from the previous harvest. For individual families and their children, hunger, malnutrition and ill-health are a constant fear and reality. In April with the wet season starting, farmers begin planting their crops, with harvesting continuing through to July. Usually the villages have no electricity, clean water supply or sewerage. Uganda’s population is about 40 million and increasing at a rate of 3.3% per year, with 70% under the age of 15 years. The nation has large areas of land suitable for farming and which are available for village people to develop. There are substantial opportunities for Uganda to expand its farming and increase its agricultural output. Only 25% of the arable land is being utilised for agriculture. Tamarind Australia is motivated by the reality that, since 1996, village farmers have lost much of the knowledge and skills that have traditionally been part of farming in northern Uganda. In this area of Uganda the main crops which are readily grown include maize (white corn), groundnuts, (peanuts), yams, upland rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, sunflowers, sesame, jack fruit, avocados and lemons. These crops have always been the traditional sources of food for the village people. We know that the opportunity exists to encourage and enable the villages to move beyond living in poverty at a subsistence level. The program we have introduced at the Farm Training Centre is to educate, train and motivate the village people to increase the amount of food they grow. In this way they will be able to sell their surplus food to increase their income. Tamarind Australia has designed the Food Storehouse to be a spacious, secure, vermin proof building in which many village farmers will be able to store the surplus food they have grown. Prices paid for seasonal foods will vary greatly during the year, depending on supply and demand. Tamarind Australia wants to encourage and motivate village farmers to grow more food and place their surplus crops in the Food Storehouse immediately after harvesting. Later in the year, when prices for each crop are at their highest, will be the best time to sell. This will maximise the income for each farmer. It will also be a huge motivation for other village farmers to put greater efforts into growing crops, so that they can improve the quality of their lives. ​ In 2012 a group in Sydney committed itself to raising funds for the Food Storehouse project. Unfortunately in 2013, when the building was about half completed, the group was unable to continue with its support and withdraw from its commitment to complete the construction of the Food Storehouse. ​ The challenge for Tamarind Australia is now to complete the construction of the Food Storehouse. Funding Goal $60 000 needed to finish Donate

Crop Growing Training Tamarind takes small groups of 12 farmers (120 per year) for a fortnight and provides a holistic program covering crop growing and animal husbandry , delivered in the local Acholi dialect. The Tamarind Training Farm is a working farm divided into 1/2 acre sections where different small crops are grown such as millet, beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes, ground nuts (peanuts) and maize. Farmers attend daily and are taught and shown modern methods and better ways to increase the yield of each of the crops, from how to choose better seeds, when and how to spray for pests, to the best fertilisers like chicken manure , and irrigation methods. They learn and understand quality control. Working alongside Tamarind staff in the field helps them understand how better farming practices for different types of crop means more yield at harvest time. Farmers return to their own land and implement this knowledge and skill on a larger scale, and both increase and specialise their yield. In the past, these same farmers had been mixing crops in their fields which resulted in the plants fighting for nutrients and therefore a low harvest to feed their families. With new knowledge and skills, farmers are able to maximise the yield, moving towards a commercial venture rather than a subsistence one, which will bring long term benefits to their families. ​ Farmers are assessed and supported by Local Council Leaders who follow up to see the implementation of the practices at home. Tamarind employs local people to work on the Training Farm, and uses the crops grown to feed the staff and farmers. Workers are paid either a fair local wage or may undertake a seed loan program instead. Guiding locals through commercial agricultural practices helps to restore farming knowledge and a mindset of sustainability in local people. This then helps break the poverty cycle, restoring the community. It rebuilds skills, trades and knowledge that has been lost and forgotten, resourcing people so that they can stand on their own two feet and have the ability to feed themselves. What do the farms produce? Sorgum G-nuts (peanuts) Sesame seeds Maize Green grams Eggplants Cherry tomatoes Herbs Sweet Potatos Pumpkins Casava Beans Various local greens Bananas Mangos Jack fruit Lemons Blackberries Coffee Avocados Oranges Guava Passionfruit seeds held in hand of harvester wide shot of workers harvesting field banana trees growing maize growing leafy greens growing guava growing local man using hoe on a field crop growing black beans harvested from Tamarind's training farms 1/5 Funding Goal $24 000 per year Donate

Our Methods The HEALS Model Our HEALS model (Health, Education, Agriculture, Land Redemption and Sustainability) developed in Gulu Northern Uganda is a holistic approach to community development. The goal is to reduce poverty by supporting families on their journey towards a sustainable future. Health Education Agriculture Land Redemption Sustainability Improving health in communities by supplying clean bore water via solar pump , and improving maternal and child nutrition by developing local agriculture. Tamarind Australia's Vision HEALS facilitates generational change by providing: ​ Future choices through ongoing training A pathway out of poverty for adults by incorporating sound development and training methods in livelihood and agriculture practices Vastly improving family health through supplying purified water and education on health practices Employment opportunities and advanced skills development through establishing markets for the products development as a result of better agriculture practices taught ​ Through these practices, communities are becoming sustainable and self-supporting. This is the key to a strong, healthy, peaceful and thriving community, which restores dignity to individuals and heals the poverty cycle. Moving From... Dependence to Independence After a war, what do you do when all the government aid trucks roll out of town? ​ ​ We seek to RESTORE a culture and community that has been ravaged by war, by changing the mindset of dependence upon aid to one of individual and communal opportunity and responsibility for future wellbeing. Restoration encompasses economic and social spheres and is concerned with restoring dignity and agency of people. Subsistence to Self Sustainability In a time of war you kill a chicken and eat it. In a time of peace you learn to like eggs. ​ ​ We seek to REBUILD a livelihood that knows nothing but poverty and to break down the mindset forged through trauma that leads to temporal solutions and lack of forward planning. ​ ​ Rebuilding encompasses education, counselling, and utilises coaching and mentoring to inspire and guide people to plan and live a better future. Poverty to Purpose You can't grow a plant without a seed, but if someone provides you with some seeds, soon you'll have a lot of plants. We seek to RESOURCE the local community through tangible projects to enable marginalised communities to become self -supporting and create ongoing economic opportunities for a sustainable future. ​ Resourcing encompasses practical assistance necessary to help communities develop their skills, breaking the generational cycle of poverty. We Operate Through Three Programs The Demonstration Farm The Farm is located in Pagak 20km north of Gulu city. We demonstrate, train and teach farmers in the Pagak community. This involves practical hands-on experiences with crops and animals . We also have a store house and training centre where we teach farmers forward planning and how to get the best out of their yield. We have impacted over 500 farmers in the last 10 years. The Operations Centre The OC is located in Bardege Te-Dam Gulu and focuses on developing the community . We teach farming , basic business skills, and demonstrate animal husbandry . ​ ​ Over 150 Bardege community members have had their lives changed by Tamarind. The Tribe The Tribe is a small group of artisan women who use their skills to generate income to provide for their families. We teach basic business skills, bead making and cooking. ​ ​ ​ ​ We have reached over 100 women throughout Gulu in the last 10 years. Why is Tamarind's work needed in Northern Uganda? Learn more about our story What are our programs achieving? Learn more about our projects

Animal Husbandry Training Tamarind takes small groups of 12 farmers (120 per year) for a fortnight and provides a holistic program covering animal husbandry and crop growing , delivered in the local Acholi dialect. Working side by side with Tamarind employees provides a practical and implementable understanding. Farmers return to their own land and implement this knowledge and skill on a larger scale, and both increase and specialise their yield. With new knowledge and skills, farmers are able to maximise the yield, moving towards a commercial venture rather than a subsistence one, which will bring long term benefits to their families. ​ Farmers are assessed and supported by Local Council Leaders who follow up to see the implementation of the practices at home. Tamarind employs local people to work on the Training Farm, and uses the crops grown to feed the staff and farmers. Workers are paid either a fair local wage or may undertake a seed loan program instead. Guiding locals through commercial agricultural practices helps to restore farming knowledge and a mindset of sustainability in local people. This then helps break the poverty cycle, restoring the community. It rebuilds skills, trades and knowledge that has been lost and forgotten, resourcing people so that they can stand on their own two feet and have the ability to feed themselves. Chickens We have focused on local breeds that are more resilient to disease and survive when free ranged. This reduces feed costs and is more sustainable for local farmers. Chickens provide us with both eggs and meat. Goats Our goats have been bred for meat, but we are transitioning toward milking goats. In preparation for this we need to develop the property with fences, cooling houses, and modern milk goat sheds. Rabbits We breed rabbits in order to provide meat, organic fertiliser and pesticide. Cows We are in early stages of breeding, but in future our herd will be able to produce meat, milk and dairy and leather. Bees We have 9 hives with the capacity of producing 120 litres of honey per year. Funding Goal $20 000 per year Donate

Get in touch! @TAMARINDPROGRAMS @TAMARINDLIFE @THETRIBETAMARIND contact@tamarindaustralia.org.au join our email newsle tter You can also use this form to contact us First Name Last Name Email Write a message Submit Thanks for getting in touch! Australia Address The Secretary, Tamarind Australia c/- Connect Church 131 Woronora Road Engadine NSW 2233 Australia Uganda Address Sarah and Chris Ochaya P O Box 647 Gulu Uganda Confused? We've compiled the questions we get asked the most, to help you out. Read our FAQs Haven't found what you're looking for yet? Use the search bar.