Eleven mouths to feed, a roof that is caving in, and no certainty if they can provide. This was the reality of Felister Oswago, her husband George, and their nine children. “I was living my life as if I weren’t,” said Felister as she reminisced, coasting through life, praying each day that the family farm would harvest enough corn to sell for a decent meal.
Earlier this year, Felister was invited to participate in the Community Transformation (CT) program hosted for parents at Oikos Primary School in Bukabwa village. This program opened Felister’s eyes to the many resources already available to her family, which she had taken for granted. When the dog living by her home gave birth to three puppies, Felister realized these animals could be valuable to her family. She no longer viewed them as a nuisance because they were additional mouths to feed but saw their potential as guard dogs that could protect the home and animals at night.
When it came time to harvest the corn, Felister asked her husband if they could use the funds to buy chickens. This seemed like a strange request to George, who initially saw more benefits in putting the funds towards fixing the house. In villages like Bukabwa, it is normal for families to buy a few chickens and raise them just until they are fit to eat. Felister had learned through her training that chickens could be bred for eggs and additional chickens could be sold for income.
“We began to work together to raise the chickens. It’s better we do this together, and we dream that one day we will have one hundred chickens, which we could sell to buy goats or even cows.”
As Felister has learned about supporting her family financially, she has also learned the value of supporting her family spiritually. Over the years, Felister would attend occasional church services but didn’t see the need to attend regularly.
“Every Sunday, my children would ask me, ‘Mama, will you take us to church?’ and I would tell them, you all go. I have work that needs to get done.”
Now, Felister has seen the value in fellowship with other believers. She is eager to attend church, grow in her faith, and encourage her children to do the same. Felister finds great joy in worshiping in church, listening to teachings, and learning about the God who loves her and desires a relationship with her. Through the CT program, Felister has been empowered to fulfill her purpose as a mama, a farmer, and a child of God.
