Dr. Hugo Gonzalez, THP-Mexico country director, has just completed co-leading workshops in Uganda to train villagers to lead the Vision, Commitment and Action workshop (VCAW). In partnership with Amb. Fitigu Tadesse and Jeanne Uwineza, THP-Uganda country director, he worked with villagers who live in and near the Mpigi epicenter.

The epicentre at Mpigi is almost finished. We toured the various rooms, the health room, the pharmacy, the food production and storage room, the pre-primary room, the room for functional literacy for adults, microcredit room. It was all done with so much heart and loving care; it was miraculous to see it working, functional.

Jeanne made a big effort to have it finished before the workshops and they almost achieved that goal. There were still some details missing, yet there was a warm environment, respect and appreciation from the villagers, because it is "their epicentre", their place to meet, their health and food centre both for production and processing. People were so excited, they were celebrating their accomplishment.

I make particular emphasis to "their accomplishment". It means that they built it in partnership with The Hunger Project, but the way Jeanne and her brilliant team worked with them, they own the place, it is their accomplishment. We happen to be partners in supporting them to fulfill this vision of a magnificent working and meeting centre, where they started to be trained.

We had 200 people starting the first day. They were there out of their commitment to be trained, they were eager, ready to participate and with a strong demand for what we had to say. We had the local authorities participating, the LC5 (district level head) Chief spoke beautiful words of wisdom so that the listening of the villagers was even stronger, applying it to generate a future free from hunger not only in the village, but that this might be an example for other villages who could learn from the people of Mpigi.

After the ceremonial opening, we started our VCAW and everyone participated very intensively, particularly women. They stood up, shared their understanding and their views, and also what possibilities had opened up about the creation of the vision for the epicentre. They even started to design a plan for the following 5 years, that they were committed to have happen, where the result was going to be an area free from hunger.

After the first day of the VCAW, we chose 50 people who came to the second day. With them we worked in developing the distinctions of the VCAW and trained them to lead the workshop. By the end of the day, we had many exercises for them to speak their vision, their commitment and generate the appropriate actions for each of the parishes where they live that that would forward the 5 year plan for a hunger free area.

They were commited, intentional in communicating and powerful in delivering the principles, which was a real miracle of understanding!

For the third day, of the 50 animators trained, we chose 19 people to be trained to be responsible for keeping the flame alive of the distinctions of the VCAW, and also the people who will stay in communication with the staff for the results of the projects that the other animators will have happen when they lead their VCAW in their parishes.

It was really a miracle to have the deep level of understanding of the distinctions, the intentionality with which they participated and the joy with which they received the training. We sang and danced after every break to celebrate the joy of our partnership.

I want to acknowledge both Fitigu Tadesse and Jeanne Uwineza Gasasira. The work they have been doing, the partnership they have generated with the Village Committee and the people is so strong that we can say that part of the world is about to be handled... well it has started very strong and the results will be shown in a short time...

Thank you for the opportunity to learn from this experience. It is one of the most amazing events in my life, and I am grateful for it.

With much love and appreciation.

Hugo González.