The bright red earth contrasts brilliantly with the vibrant green foliage and stark blue sky. Children run in the streets with dirty, bare feet and huge, satisfied smiles. We hear story after story of people who have experienced extreme suffering, yet often have so much joy.

We’d normally be hosting a trip to Uganda in July to visit our staff and members. But, as Uganda is still under a 42 day lockdown and we can’t travel with you to one of our most beloved places, we would like to virtually take you there.

From departure to final destination, you can expect up to 48 hours of travel and the planes get smaller and smaller as you go.

In the small 6 person aircraft, Uganda from above is just like a storybook, green and red, with round straw “tukuls,” African homes.

The runways look a little different in Uganda as well!

But this allows for a very personable, joyful arrival.

Children often come running through the green grass with big smiles and lots of laughter to say hello to their new guests.

There are also greetings and long-overdue hugs from our Seed Effect staff.

Co-Founder, Missy Williams leads the team in a prayer before the exciting week ahead.

In a region where over one million South Sudanese refugees are rebuilding their lives alongside their new neighbors, refugee settlements are scattered throughout the region.

There are very few paved roads, and most people don’t own cars, so the majority walk many miles walk to and from work and to the market for daily errands and groceries.

Handmade clothes and handmade homes are the norm, with techniques passed down through generations, ancient traditions living within our modern world.

Seed Effect currently has 56 full time and another 130 part-time indigenous staff serving over 41,000 members in northern Uganda.

And it is always so special to see our team face to face.

Upon arrival at headquarters, there are lots of handshakes and hugs as we greet old friends, celebrate birthdays and introduce our team members.

Regina, who visited Seed Effect in Uganda in 2019, said,

“I was so impressed by the size of Seed Effect. I did not realize they employed so many people all around Northern Uganda. It was so much easier to understand the fast growth of Seed Effect due to the organization hierarchy. I was also so impressed by the passion the staff has for the organization.”

In our over-connected, ever shrinking world, it is hard to comprehend that there are still places where people do not have access to common financial tools like small loans and savings.