FROM OUR NEW REPORTER
Our web reports are being provided by Isaac Kagonza writing as Emmac Hodgetts. He is a 21 year old Ugandan student who is hoping to make a career in journalism and communications. He is currently gaining “real world” experience while on an academic break from Liberty University in Uganda. Graham and Eileen Hodgetts first met Isaac when he was 11 years old and suffering from hydrocephalus. They assisted him to obtain treatment at the CURE hospital in Mbale, Uganda and he is now in good health. He uses the name Emmac Hodgetts to recognize the assistance he received from the Hodgetts family.
Isaac’s first assignment was to interview workers on the Ugandan Gold Coffee Farm to see how their life has been affected by the opportunity to have full employment.
JUSTUS ALEMERA
Mr. Justus Alemera, aged 36, is a worker on the coffee farm down at Wambabya who has so far spent a period of 8 years working down there. The special work that Mr. Justus Alemera does on the farm is to weed the coffee, harvest it, train it, and also replace the overgrown coffee plants which is a good job and well done.
This very man has got 4 children in number back in his family whereby 3 of them go to a nursery school known as Victory Nursery School and the other one remains back home with the mother taking care of her. All these children are females.
Before working on the farm, Mr. Justus Alemera was a peasant farmer who did his work back at his home premises and it was out of this work from which he got money to buy necessities, get what to eat and also have school fees for his children. After working on the farm, this gentleman hopes to continue with this work on his own piece of land back home in order to make more money for himself, his family and for his children’s school fees. In addition to this, he hopes to also establish a small scale business for income generation.
As a result of working on the farm, his life has changed in a way that he has been able to construct a house for his family, buy a piece of land on which to grow some crops and also buy himself a bicycle.
One of the most interesting things about him is that he is a religious man who goes to Apollo Church of Uganda that is located in Butimba L.C1 village together with his family members with whom he stays.
He is a kind of person who believes in Christ and as a result, he makes sure that he attends the Bible Study held on every Wednesday at the coffee farm.
Mr. Justus Alemera adds that he finds it easier staying with his fellow workers down at the farm as they are always free with each other at all times of the day that comes by and as a result of this, they’re ever in all smiles whenever they meet down in the shambas (Swahili word meaning private garden plots).
Lastly, he says that he is most thankful to CEED for the great work that it does in helping them have what to do and thereafter earn a living for both himself and his family.
Justus Alemera, Wambabya coffee farm worker.
