Author name: Nadine Cruickshanks

Welcome Center constructed with a dedicated Building Crew (George, Noah, Hillary A., and Joe), Supplies and Transport manager (Hillary W.), and BFFF’s Women’s Group (who supplied woven ceiling mats). Local employment and Vocational Skills Training (i.e., Construction, Architecture, Engineering…) were offered to BFFF community members.

Relationships between BFFF’s Kashekye and Kyevu/Batwa communities are strengthened through Community Gatherings and the sharing of Indigenous Plant Knowledge, Stories, Seed Planting, and Dancing.

BFFF’s Plant Medicine Committee met on the land (a number of times) to identify medicinal plants and to note their uses and benefits. Committee includes Indigenous Batwa (holding over 70,000 years of Plant Knowledge), women, and youth community members. Future plans are to create a Plant Medicine Field Guide that can be offered as an educational and healing resource (for local students, youth, community members, and visitors to BFFF land).

BFFF’s Women’s Group took the lead on many initiatives including: 1) Preparing gardens for new planting (i.e., Plant Medicine Farmacy, Trial, Culinary, 3-Sisters, Wellness Tea, and Community Gardens); 2) Supplying woven mats for Welcome Center’s ceiling; 3) Weaving and sewing handicrafts (money for purchases go directly towards womens’ entrepreneurial skills), and 4) Making decisions regarding current and future plans at BFFF.

BFFF’s Community enjoyed its first harvest! Crops are purchased for 1/2 market value while providing families with diverse and nutritious food at a saving cost. Local access also limits the need to travel (by foot or by boat) to Rutinda’s market. Profits then supply new seeds for sustainable food supplies. A Community Market Day is being considered (one day a week) to further opportunities for crop purchases, seed exchanges, and community collaboration. Six new garden beds are also ready for 2nd Annual Planting Day (see March 7, 2026 post).

BFFF’s Youth Group take the lead in: 1) Community Garden transactions (i.e., selling crops to community members for 1/2 market value, recording sales, safekeeping funds, and making seed purchase and planting decisions for sustainable food security), 2) Setting up a youth Micro-financing system (over 100 youth have signed up to contribute to, and benefit from, this youth-lead system), and 3) Supporting an Environmentally-more-friendly Soap alternative for the land and water of Lake Bunyonyi (Zenora Ventures Ltd. Soap is being sold at BFFF through its Youth group)yoyou

Over 200 BFFF community members (including Kabale University faculty and local Rotarians) gathered to plant seeds for newly established Community Gardens. Each family brought seeds to plant that contribute to diverse and health-enriching crops (other than common Irish potatoes or Sorghum). Corn was roasted and Bushera was shared among the community – from the youngest to the oldest! The newly constructed Welcome Center was also celebrated and utilized throughout the day – with lots of fun, community spirit, and dancing!

BFFF recognizes the vital roles that its Leadership Team and Caretakers have within this Foundation. We are ever grateful for their unique skills, commitment, and contributions to BFFF.