In late March, when Uganda was forced into a sudden lockdown, Fr. Frank couldn't continue to 
work as Dean of Studies at St. Joseph Seminary. Since all public Masses were also forbidden, he reached out to CARITAS hoping to do something significant through our Special Feeding Program.
When 24 acres of land were made available to him, and with more time on his hands, Fr. Frank decided to put it to good use by starting a farm!
Thanks to funds raised in our Special Feeding Program, Father was quickly able to purchase seeds, farming tools and supplies. CARITAS was also able to support his creative initiative by paying local laborers and several seminarians to help him work the land.
For the past three months, they’ve been plowing the fields and planting cassava, corn, 
beans, potatoes and bananas, which are all staple foods for Ugandans.
The first year’s harvest will be used to feed 300 children at a local Catholic primary school. In the coming years, Fr. Frank hopes to feed an even larger number of school children – possibly even 1,000!
As our next step, we are discussing options for expanding the farm, such as raising pigs and installing a well and irrigation system. Currently, the farm workers have been spending much of their time carrying heavy buckets of water to the fields; an irrigation system would greatly save them time and effort, as well as lower expenses. In addition, it’ll also provide a much-needed source of clean water for potentially 5,000 local residents who otherwise must walk 9 miles to and from the nearest ground-surface water supply.
Knowing that Fr. Frank will be going back to his regular priestly duties after the COVID-19 crisis has subsided, we are now consulting with him on how to make this farm 
sustainable, benefiting both the Seminary and the school children for years to come.
It’s been very inspiring to see Fr. Frank, who graduated from our Sponsor-a-Seminarian program in 2017, now use his time, treasure, and talent to expand the blessings that our organization brings to his Ugandan brothers and sisters.
Father is very grateful to our CARITAS donors who are making this agricultural initiative possible, and we are thankful to him for his dedicated service as a priest for the Church, a mentor at the Seminary, and even a farmer in the fields!
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Please consider donating to help us make Farther Frank's Caritas Farm a sustainable (and continuous) source of food and water for hundreds of children in Uganda. In addition to your donation, CARITAS For Children has found a generous donor who will match any donation made towards this African water well and irrigation system which will cost a total of US $10,000.
