How did I acquire the farm land?

As you have noted in the previous blog post "Why I started farming", it all started with a CHALLENGE, the NEED and then the FAITH and DECLARATION! I was challenged that the farmers I was training were attaining food security while in my house we were hungry. I  encountered this challenge after being put in a environment that I was not used to. Had it been that I stayed in Kampala or abroad, I would never experience it. Instead of complaining about the problem, I had learned from motivational speakers that the person with the positive mindset starts to think of how to solve the challenge at hand from the grassroot. While I was receiving a salary, I could not afford the expensive bunch of banana every week along other responsibilities. This is something that middle class employed people go through on daily basis, the rat race as noted by Robert Kiyosaki in his book of Poor Dad Rich Dad. Being in developed country or developing countries! There is never enough for a salary earner!

Additionally, I was spending a large percentage of my earning towards the my studies to acquire masters degree in business administration (MBA) at UNICAF University Zambia campus. At this UNICAF, students access online classes as per their schedule which is a good program for the full time employers that want to want to go for further studies. You don't have to travel abroad and abandon your family and career. At this institution, the student normally contributes 20% of the total scholarship and UNICAF pays 80% of the total expense. This is generally a a great opportunity to the African community but the challenge is even the 20% can also be hard to pay per course unit given the level of poverty in some developing countries. 

We found the land consisting of coffee,
bananas, cassava, jackfruits, mangoes etc.
The maize was planted by us

The challenges I am mentioning above are happening in everyone's life but in different dimensions. For me it might have been matooke but for you it might be marriage, house, school fees, insurance, medication, car e.t.c. It is applicable to any field in life. You may be challenged by your landlord on how she/he treats you when you can't afford to build a house. You can be a banker, super broke but you are issuing out lots of money at the counter. You can even be a teacher whose children are at home because you can't afford a good school but you are busy teaching other people's kids. You may be a pastor who ushers married couples but you don't have a wife at home. You can be an insurance agent but you are not issued for accessing good health services but you advice your clients on the best packages. The list is long......The main thing is what challenge are you facing in your life and it has persisted? 

Every challenge comes along with the need and desire. The lack of enough money (poverty) was a challenge which led me to have a need and desire to buy enough matooke for my family. Instead of asking for a salary increase which actually accumulates Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes for the government through Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). I also had an option of being re-allocated to another district where there is enough matooke. However, I chose to critically look at the problem and I started thinking of the solution to the challenge. To solve this problem for good and for my children and the next generations, I needed a piece of land where I can grow bananas, have enough food at home, give some to my neighbors and sell a lorry of matooke every week for income. If you are going through a certain challenge that has persisted, it is always good to sit down with yourself, understand the depth of the problem and be specific on the solution which will not only benefit you but also profit your family, descendants and community at large. 

Even though I didn't have money to purchase land at that time, I had a dream! I kept on confessing it with my mouth for the Bible says whatever we decree and declare it shall be established. I sang this solution, I  would state it in the bathroom, in the mirror, while riding my motorcycle to check on farmers...in fact, I started dreaming about it as if I was already in an established banana plantation. However, I kept it to myself with a few close people I could ask for referrals to search the land. Why keep it a secret? I had already gone through injuries of being damaged by some people who did not like my dream but pretended to be my supporters. My consultancy firm had gone to zero and that's how I ended up searching for a job for a daily meal. My advise is keep your dream to yourself and only surprise people to see something established. Look for key guidance and support from people that you can trust. If you don't have money at the moment for your dream , don't worry about it! In my life experience, I have learned that you can do anything with FAITH and prayers for nothing is impossible with God. Keep praying about it!

When I resigned at my job in Busia and I returned to Kampala, I joined a new church as guided by God. I really don't why God preferred that I change the church. However, as children of God, we always believe that He has a good plan for us as stated in Jeremiah 29 versus 11. At first, I did not like the church and the people there nevertheless I stayed as per God's command. Anyway, I sat there for lunch hour services everyday for almost a year. But at the same time, I was offering consultancy services in some government agencies but there is something that my spirit longed for which I could not explain to anyone even to myself. 

During my stay at that church, I learned of the long fasting period in the middle of the year. I  joined the mass but I was even not sure of what I wanted from the fasting apart from being close to God and seek His kingdom first (Matthew 6:33). In the middle of the month, the Holy Spirit went upon me and led me to a place that I had never been in through a vision. I did a Google search of the place. I got a one sentence search about that village and its sub-county. Early in the morning, I got in a taxi and went to that village using the sub-county as a reference to get the directions. Of course, I was afraid with a lot of fear because It was funny for someone to move to a place because the Holy Spirit has said so. I did not tell anyone at home. For I knew they would discourage me or think that I am now out of my mind. I took courage and took the first step. However, I got a running stomach from the time I got into the taxi throughout the way. Taxi conductor wondered what was happening to me. I kept on requesting for stop-overs to run to the toilet! I was fighting with the common disease called FEAR, the Goliath that David fought (1 Samuel 17).

I finally got to the sub-county and lucky enough a boda person knew that village. On our way, I saw the house that had appeared in the vision where I was supposed to ask for directions. On stepping off the boda, I heard a voice within me, do not fear, do not be afraid, I am your LORD, I will help you. Immediately, my stomach got settled and I started regaining life. I went to that home and I found there a young lady who gave me her phone to talk to a gentleman, omutaka.  I actually thought that it was his name until I learned that it meant the land care taker on behalf of the king of Buganda (Kabaka). He talked to me over the phone and I promised to return but I did not explain to him why I needed to see him. For I did not know why I was there in the first place!

the bananas that were found on the land were enough
to satisfy my family and provide suckers for planting
new banana plantation

After some weeks, It was a Sunday and I was moving out of church. I heard a voice clearly that I should call the Mutaka. I made a call and he again asked me why I needed to see him. As I posed to think of the reason, he quickly stated that if I need farm land, there is a land that he has just signed off and it is on sale in case I am interested. I smiled on the other side of the phone and confidently told him that I will return for inspection. The following morning, I was on a taxi but this time with no fear and with a reason why I am going there. I meant the land owner and in faith I bought his cassava at 2,000Ugx and got some fruits from the village and brought them to my pastor to bless me. He looked at me and wondered what on this earth I was doing. Anyway, the pastor on duty prayed for me declaring how the children of Israel were sent by Moses to see the land that God had promised them and they returned with fruits from that land. I started praying from that verse. 

On the other hand, I did not have even transport to take me back home from church. However, this was no longer a challenge. I was getting used to living by God's grace. Are you wondering why I was broke? even when I had consultancy jobs? Yes, people were not paying me, others would delay and I had a lot of debts to cover up in addition to running in different courts to restore my property that some of my relatives had taken while working upcountry and abroad. When the money got finished, I believed in God's restoration, judgement and mercy.

God is so gracious! It passed some months and I wondered what next! However, the Mutaka kept on calling me and mentioning that I had got favor before him, his wife, his grandmother and the seller's family. They think, I will be a good neighbor. They had rejected other buyers and could not take their money. I ran back to God and I kept on thanking Him for buying me the farm land and fulfilling my dream that I had even forgotten about. However, within me I would be shaking, where will I get that money they are asking for. One day, God told me, you have already paid for that land. I asked how? and He continued to explain, when that young man accepted your 2,000Ugx note, it was a seed for you to gain favor before the land care taker. So start preparing for the coming season to plant maize. I believed and I started learning about maize planting in Uganda. 

After three months of waiting, one of my old clients called me for the job. I had worked for this organization with integrity but unfortunately the finance team was corrupted. When they received the payment from the donor, a small group of the staff distributed it amongst themselves and submitted my work for accountability. When I learned about it, I was offended but I chose to step down and I totally forgave them without expecting anything in return. From no where, I get a call from the new boss who was interested in my services. I did not share with him of what happened in the past, I went ahead and did his work as per the contract. I was not sure if they would pay this time but I was satisfied with the kind of work they were doing for the farmers. After a few days of my final report submission, Lo and behold, the SMS alert message from my bank on my phone came, indicating the exact figure that the land seller had asked me! From that point, I learned that vengeance belongs to the LORD!

As I conclude, I can't explain in layman's language on how I acquired the land without the broker, real estate agent, recommendations from friends and families or doing Google business profiles and searches on yelp and other classified websites. I give glory to Jehovah and I appreciate the Baganda who did not discriminate me by my tribe. Kindly share with us by posting in comment section, on how you acquired your farm land.