Jamie Wingert continues fundraising for Obwobwo with October 6th event

By Willis Patenaude 

Over the course of the last year, Jamie Wingert has been a local presence, on social media and throughout the community, putting together fundraising events and raising awareness, driven by a cause to lift generations of residents currently residing at the HopeChest CarePoint in Obwobwo, out of poverty and suffering. 

As Community Partner Leader for HopeChest, Wingert is the contact point for Obwobwo in America. She is also in charge of sponsor relationships, fundraising, trip planning, community relations, and education, in addition to speaking several times a month to the staff in Uganda, as well as being involved in quarterly staff meetings with American and Ugandan staff. Needless to say, this is a cause to which she devotes countless hours and one for which she is intimately involved. 

To focus on one area of dedication, seems a disservice to Wingert, but the most visible aspect among her responsibilities, is fundraising efforts, which all go towards different projects that contribute to the sustainability of the Obwobwo village, a former internally displaced persons (IDP) camp located in the Katakwi, the northeast region of Uganda with a population just under 1,000 people. 

Those fundraising efforts are numerous, including an annual fundraiser the first weekend of October, as well as additional efforts, such as dahlia tuber sales in the spring, bouquet deliver and flower bar events at Cannon Creek Farm in the summer, cookie sales lead by Angel and Maci Keppler, other events at Cannon Creek Farm such as sourdough workshops, stained glass making, painting classes, and educational tours, have all contributed to the fundraising efforts. 

Those efforts have helped fund the $6,722 for the installation of solar panels on the CarePoint building in Obwobwo to provide electricity and lighting in the multipurpose and kitchen building. Additionally, the project will also be vital in powering future and upcoming projects, such as a poultry project, kitchen gardening, motorized water pump, and irrigation systems at the CarePoint, the majority of which will greatly improve the nutrition of the children in the village. 

The basis for this project rests on the fact that the Obwobwo community is rural, difficult to reach, and the national power grid does not extend to the community. The lack of electricity has fundamentally affected the development of the area and since solar power is renewable energy and has lower maintenance costs, it is more sustainable and reliable for rural areas. Installation of the solar panels, which was completed over the summer, will also create progress towards self-empowerment, something that has been “frustrated” in the absence of electricity.

The last year also saw the completion of a more serious project, meant to safeguard the village, which is currently exposed to several risks, including vandalism and theft from unauthorized persons and unwanted animals coming into the village. It was also meant as a way to prevent beehives as part of an apiary project, from being stolen. At a cost of $20,596, the fence project was one of the largest of the year, but enclosing the village is of tantamount importance because it will protect both the people of the village, as well as other projects that will become income generating for the CarePoint, which in the long-term, will aid the sustainability of the village. 

Then there was the Farmers Group Project, which was entirely funded by Cannon Creek farm workshops and retreats, as well as dahlia tuber sales and bouquets, which demonstrates the power of one person to make change. According to Wingert, the goal of the project “is to empower the community and have the projects be sustainable creating self sufficiency. Strengthening the farming initiatives will be felt for generations to come.”

The project is aimed at supporting farmers across the five villages under the Obwobwo parish, by giving them improved seed varieties, introducing modern methods of farming, and creating market linkages for better pricing for their produce, with an overall goal of decreasing food and income insecurity. On the Global Hunger Index, Uganda was 95th out of 125 countries with sufficient data, highlighting the seriousness of food insecurity. 

According to Project Coordinator, Harriet Achan in Obwobwo, this project will raise awareness on recently adopted farming practices and inputs like planting in rows, crop rotation, use of improved seed variety and motorized tractors that are climate smart  

“These will transform the rain fed agriculture to a climate smart type that will ensure an improved and consistent supply of food for the community throughout the year,” Achan said. 

The latest fundraising effort for Wingert, is the construction of staff housing. This project has a funding goal of almost $54,000, making it one of the biggest projects for the CarePoint to date, which means more fundraising! 

This year, the annual fundraiser, which is on October 6th, will be used to help fund the housing project. Hosted at Cannon Creek Farm, Wingert describes the event as an opportunity to share stories and photos of past trips as well as raise awareness for upcoming trips and current initiatives. 

The event will have a fall focus with pumpkin carving, a fall photo backdrop, bouquet bar, trail walks, yard games, alpaca education and encounter, a silent auction, free will dinner, and live music by The Anderegg Family. 

The highlight of the event is the silent auction, which begins online and closes in person at the event and “is a fun way to get people involved that cannot attend in person but still want to bid and support our efforts,” Wingert said. 

The auction is expected to have over 40 items, ranging from an AirBNB stay in Montana along the Yellowstone River to items from the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and local gift baskets donated by area businesses with bidding taking place on the Obwobwo Lights Facebook page. 

The purpose of the housing project is to support the staff at Obwobwo, who are currently living in a storeroom of the CarePoint building and a mud hut that was constructed by community members. The staff, which Wingert called “the backbone of the CarePoint” oversee the daily operations as well as support the children, families, and community members and are the link between the Obwobwo Village and the head office in Soroti Uganda. Moreover, they engage in outreach, home visits, boarding school visits, education, discipleship, and coordination of resources including the feeding program, medical care, and social and emotional support. 

“The housing would accommodate all staff, will have a male and female living area as well as a guest area,” Wingert said, while adding, “Our staff is vital for the daily operations of the CarePoint and the care and safety of the children in the program. The children know that the CarePoint is a safe place to go with any concerns or needs. It is important that our staff is available at all times.”

Anyone interested in contributing to the cause and making an impact, the fundraiser is scheduled for October 6th from 2pm to 7pm Cannon Creek Farm with online bids for the silent auction ending on October 5th at 6pm and in-person bidding will resume the day of the event.

“To lift people out of poverty it is a multifaceted approach focusing on all members of the community. We all want to make an impact in our lifetime, and I can only pray that our efforts will lift many generations out of suffering and poverty,” Wingert said.