Jossap was founded as an agricultural project to help Africa. It aims to teach residents to manage their farms effectively to be independent of humanitarian aid. The goal is to build a farm in local conditions to show people in need how they can start farming. The project also includes an idea to build school farm, which will provide practical training for children and students.
Currently, we have built a small demonstration farm with huts for rabbits, goats, ducks and hen on the site of our residence. This breeding we use partly as a resource of meal for us and for a few children who live with us throughout the school year or during school holidays in our household. These kids also help us with the care of animals and naturally learn to work on the farm. We also occasionally provide our breeding animals to local farmers and we continue to cooperate with them. As a reward we receive some of the young animals they got from our breeding pieces from them. We would like to buy a milk cow in the near future.
Apart from our agricultural activities we actively look after about thirty children who have fallen into unfavorable living conditions, most often due the loss of one or both parents. With the profit from our agricultural activities, such as selling milk and other agricultural products, we would like to cover the costs of their study and common needs in the future. We expect them to stay at work with us and support the Jossap project after graduating.
Currently, we support around 30 children at primary school, high school, college and vocational school. Support takes the form of “Child sponsorship”. Through sponsors we provide tuition fees in private boarding schools around our home, school uniforms and sports suits including footwear, textbooks, school supplies, hygiene supplies, mattresses and blankets, treatment as needed, and a Christmas present. We visit the children several times a week in their schools and deal with their study and organization issues. Children spend their holidays either with their relatives, on our farm or, for reason of capacity, we provide accommodation in classmates’ families.
An essential part of the project is spiritual activity – evangelization, preaching, teaching and pastoral care. The children we care for receive the Bible from us and guide them to their regular reading, praise and worship and prayer. We use the opportunity to preach or teach God’s word in our home, in schools, and in churches. We also occasionally operate in nearby Uganda.
