FOOD SECURITY GRANT: Enhancing the Economic Capabilities of Jewish Community in Mukono, Central Uganda.

An Interview with Sarah Nakintu

Sarah Nakintu is a highly respected Jewish woman leader in Uganda who has a lot of interest in entrepreneurship and politics. In my numerous visits to Uganda, a country described as the pearl of Africa, I have been to the Jewish community in Mukono, where she is a member. Back in Cote d’Ivoire, during the first ever Pan-African Jewish conference, which gave birth to an alliance known as SAJA (Sub-Saharan African Jewish Alliance) with Jews from 10 African countries in attendance, Sarah emerged as one of the selected top officers of the alliance board of directors. She also became a member of the economic development working committee. Recently, her community received a grant to help tackle the rising food security challenges.

Could you start by introducing yourself and sharing your role within your Jewish community and other affiliated organizations?

I am Sarah Nakintu, acting vice president of the Sub-Saharan Jewish Alliance and member of Tsyon Beit HaMitzvot Jewish Community in Mukono District in Uganda. I would also like to mention that I was previously a candidate for the Women Member of Parliament position in Mukono District. Currently, I am the President of Shalom Women’s Development Network (SWODN). I was the first chairperson of the interparty women’s platform organization that brought together 10 political parties’ women’s leagues in Uganda, and in the area of education, I am a member of the executive board of over 10 schools in Mukono.

As the acting vice president of the Sub-Saharan African Jewish Alliance and now acting as the leader of the economic and development working committee of the alliance, what are some of the main challenges for most communities, and what opportunities do you see as well?

I can tell you that both the challenges and opportunities are very much alike. After the alliance’s formation, we’ve talked to various communities and found that we face similar challenges. Limited access to funding to produce some Jewish-related products, which the community usually rely on to earn revenues. Items like kippot and challah covers are in high demand, especially during Chagim, but most times shipping costs become the main challenge. Even for some other small businesses, most Jewish communities lack the collateral needed to access local credit.        

Another challenge is the rise in antisemitism, which has taken a new form since October 7th. Items with Jewish symbols crafted on them have become a red flag for most non-Jewish customers. Just the fact that you are a Jewish seller is enough to turn off most buyers. Recently, I fell victim to this situation after investing a significant amount of money into my art and craft project. The buyer, a white woman, flew into Uganda from the United States, and upon discovering that I was Jewish, she fiercely attacked me in a bloody fight. It was a truly harrowing experience, a true test of the depths of hatred towards Jews. That’s how I lost the business and all the money I invested. Right now, whenever we engage in online sales, we exercise caution due to the uncertainty of the buyer’s identity. In addition, climate change poses a significant threat to agriculture and food security in many African countries, particularly for those farmers without irrigation systems. Persistent poverty plagues many communities, the free flow of profitable and practical ideas is hindered most times, and a lack of unity and cooperation further impedes equality in growth.

In your final question, you brought up the topic of opportunities. Opportunities abound due to the presence of brilliant and hardworking Jews in various Jewish communities. If people can learn new skills and apply technology to tackle some of the challenges we face, we can achieve more.

We have the opportunity to network through Pan-African conferences such as SAJA, participate in important seminars, and collaborate with long-standing partners like Kulanu, Olam Network, and now the Mark Gelfand Food Security Foundation. Many of our youths are willing to receive mentorship in various vocational aspects; we can learn how to communicate our ideas practically through a successful business plan writeup to appeal to donors and investors, and we can travel across borders to meet each other, strengthen our friendship, and learn from each other firsthand.

Speaking about economic opportunities, your community in Mukono recently received a financial grant from the Mark Gelfand Foundation. Can you share more about how this grant will help address food insecurity and the role agriculture plays in this initiative?

We are grateful for the grant, which will support our bakery project and farmland cultivation. Kulanu initially sponsored our oven, which we used to bake matzot for all the Jewish communities in Uganda. So, we’re capitalizing and building upon this to establish a complete mini bakery that would operate as a commercial bakery. At the moment, we have successfully executed the first phase of the general grant business plan, which involves purchasing a mixer and a proofer, as well as acquiring two hectares of land for the agricultural part of the project. The next phase, which involves the construction of the bakery work area to house the bakery equipment, is yet to begin until the heavy rainy season subsides, and we have plans to register the bakery with the authorities to enable us to have an operational license to be able to sell portions of the products to the public.

On the newly acquired farmland, we intend to cultivate cassava, matokeh (plantains), pineapple, and other green vegetables. This will not only support our community’s Shabbat feeding needs, which are our biggest challenge, but it will also benefit the most elderly and poorer families. If we can install an irrigation system, we will be able to maintain continuous production throughout the year. By cultivating the farmland year-round, we should be able to realize a bountiful harvest, sufficient to feed the community not only during the weekly Shabbat but also during other Jewish gatherings such as festivals and other ceremonies. The grant will boost our productivity and eliminate the need to buy all our food from the market, where high inflation has devalued the Ugandan currency. By farming our own land, we can eventually save any money that we have and direct it into other important areas.

Your photos of challah baking have gone viral several times, whether it is for the weekly Shabbat or even baking of matzah, which obviously is now a good thing to see a new bakery being set up in your community. How do you envision the new bakery project impacting not only the Jewish community in Mukono but also the broader local economy?

Once we fully launch the project, we will create jobs for both youth and women who are currently unemployed. We plan to develop a strategy for saving funds from sales to sustain the project in the future, after the payment of a stipend to the workers. There will be an opportunity to train people interested in learning how to bake different kinds of products. We plan to extend this vocational training to other Jewish communities in Uganda and beyond in the future, utilizing online workshops and video training to accomplish this. This is possible because, for the past two years, We have been able to organize, through my community, the mass baking of matzah for Uganda. Jews from various communities come together to carry out this exercise cheerfully, strengthening the bond we share as Abayudaya.

You mentioned earlier your position in the Shalom Women’s Network, so as the president, what are some of the key initiatives you’ve led to empower women, and how do you see the role of women evolving within Jewish and Ugandan society?

As the founder of the Shalom Woman Network, we participate in a variety of activities, one of which is dedicated to eradicating gender-based violence. I have organized a 3- day training for women and youth leaders from different communities in Uganda to highlight the causes of violence and its effects, as well as how to support our communities. Since then, these leaders have achieved significant progress compared to their previous lack of knowledge and skills. Occasionally, we organized workshops aimed at empowering young people with various skills necessary for employment.

We have successfully amplified the voices of women and marginalized groups, such as those with special needs. The network endeavors to support pregnant mothers in acquiring baby kits and preparing for childbirth. We also provide sanitary pads to young girls to ensure their continued stay in school. Last December, we organized a Jewish camp for the young children and the youth for a week. It was indeed a wonderful beginning, and the children had lots of things to learn during that short period of gathering.

I’ve seen you participate in a couple of radio talk shows for various purposes, including political and religious topics. What role does interfaith dialogue play in your work, particularly in promoting understanding and cooperation between different religious groups in Uganda? Secondly, how important is media representation in shaping the public’s perception of Jewish communities in sub-Saharan Africa?

Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are the 3 main religions in Uganda, of which the Jewish people are the minority, but yet we have found a way to relate with others to balance things up. My frequent participation in radio to promote interfaith was how members of the interfaith council of Uganda brought me fully onboard into religious group discussions, and I have shared meaningful ideas in this space. These interfaith dialogues on radio are essential in promoting tolerance, understanding, and cooperation in the multicultural society we find ourselves in.

Let’s look at the significance of media in spreading awareness about Judaism. Historically, in Uganda, I am the first Jewish woman to engage in numerous TV and radio talk shows, and have played critical roles in amplifying our voices that have often been underrepresented in public discourse. I have challenged patriarchal norms and encouraged other women, particularly from marginalized or underrepresented groups or faiths, to engage in public discussions and leadership roles. As an advocate for social justice causes, such as combating gender-based violence and supporting interfaith dialogue, I have shared Jewish values deeply rooted in concepts of justice, charity, and repairing the world, which is “Tikkun Olam”. Addressing issues such as gender inequality, racial justice, and environmental sustainability has allowed me to incorporate Jewish ethical teachings into contemporary social debates.

I have greatly motivated the younger generation to pursue careers in journalism, broadcasting, and other fields that require their voices. While on the radio talk show, I advocate for cultural heritage, discussing topics such as Jewish holidays, rituals, cuisine, and music. This not only educates the broader audience but also helps preserve Jewish traditions for future generations. B’ezrat Hashem, I have been able to foster a sense of community and pride in our heritage while making Jewish traditions accessible to a wider audience. To summarize everything, I’d like to stress that radio talk shows offer a forum for me to connect with broader communities, both Jewish and non-Jewish, therefore strengthening communal bonds and promoting collaboration on issues of shared concern. This also helped me to maintain and enhance my leadership roles within my communities by serving as voices for unity, education, and empowerment.

Finally- Let’s go back to SAJA’s economic and development working committee, now headed by you. What are your plans and agendas for the committee, which has members from various African countries? What has been achieved so far? What are you currently discussing? What projects do you appear to be prioritizing in each country?

Economic development is crucial for our survival as Jews, which is why we established this working committee in Abidjan. With our members scattered across sub-Saharan Africa, we strive to communicate with each other and others across borders through the internet, sharing ideas and making suggestions on how communities can embark on micro-projects to earn revenue to sustain some of their operations. We are also assisting some Jewish entrepreneurs in promoting their products online to attract potential customers. Currently, we’re discussing how to teach making kosher wine locally, which is something my community here in Uganda has been doing for several years, therefore saving a substantial amount of money in the long run that would have been spent importing expensive kosher wine. We’re discussing how it would be cost-effective for communities to produce certain items on their own. This is precisely what Mark Gelfand Food Security is working to establish throughout sub-Saharan Africa. He is assisting more communities to become producers, enabling them to feed themselves and sell some of their produce to generate income, rather than struggling and relying solely on their limited financial resources.

Any final words to the grant donor?  

Of course, yes, we the entire members of our Jewish community in Mukono, are really grateful for this generous grant, which has given us hope of survival going forward. Where there was once no hope, now we see directions and possibilities. A million thanks to the Mark Gelfand foundation, and to Rabbi Bonita and Molly at Kulanu, as well as to the management of SAJA for giving us this opportunity. I am confident that once we fully set up the two projects, every one of us can gaze into the future, knowing indeed that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

About The Author