Background of Joseph Odeke

 

Dr Joseph Odeke grew up in the Ugandan village of Atirir in the district of Katakwi. Much of his family was killed in political uprising when he was young and it is the people of his village that supported and encouraged him to study to become a doctor.

Dr Odeke has been the GP for a small but busy practice in Keith, South Australia for nearly two years.

Becoming involved in the community he soon became interested in farming and in particular, machinery used and what it could achieve.

His desire to help the people who have helped him has resulted in an amazing project which has the backing and support of a large and varied country community.

A passionate committee forms the centre of it, with a group of driven people ensuring the projects get off the ground and money is raised to achieve their goal.

In an area already hard hit by drought and tough times, these country people have shown the true country spirit and eagerness to help out those substantially less fortunate even when they themselves are suffering hardships of their own.

Donations of money, time, machinery large and small, clothing, educational supplies and much more have poured in and the first container has recently left Australian shores bound for Uganda.

What is believed will be the underlying success of the project is the fact that several groups of skilled farmers will make trips to the village to teach the use and safety aspects of the machinery, thus enabling the farmers to establish a more productive farm and have the opportunity to break, or at least dent the poverty cycle.

The trips are planned to take place at intervals during the next 18 months and are also planned to coincide with the arrival of the second container around July of next year.

You can make a donation at any branch of the Commonwealth Bank, to the Joseph Odeke Community Development Fund.