Life in Soroti, Uganda

A glimpse into the daily reality of our brothers & sisters at St. Patrick’s Parish

Two children walking down a dirt path in a rural area, carrying large containers on their heads, with tall grass and wildflowers on either side, and a mountain in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.
Dive into Soroti
Scenic view of a valley with a river running through the green, rolling hills and small houses scattered across the landscape under a partly cloudy sky.

What daily life looks like…

Most families in Soroti live in small huts with no electricity, no plumbing, and no access to clean drinking water at home. Every morning and evening, water is collected from distant wells and carried back in heavy containers—just to meet basic needs.

Despite these hardships, faith remains the center of daily life. Their Advent looks very different from ours: no wreaths, no candles, no decorations, no Nativity sets. Yet their hearts prepare joyfully for the Savior’s birth.

→ See How Families Fight to Get Through Each Day

Close-up of reddish-brown soil with a small green plant growing in it.
A woman wearing a blue dress and an orange headscarf is harvesting crops in a lush green garden with tall corn plants and other greenery. Several women are visible in the background, some standing and some sitting, in an outdoor setting.
Two small traditional huts with thatched roofs in a rural area, one with a mud brick exterior and the other with a brick exterior, surrounded by trees and open land.

The daily struggle to provide…

Food and water dominate each day’s efforts:

  • Families walk miles to collect water twice a day

  • Most rely on subsistence farming—growing only what their family can eat

  • Droughts, insects, and lack of seeds or fertilizer often place families in crisis

  • Christmas may be the only day they taste meat

When older children attend Holy Angels School, it eases the burden at home. But providing enough food for younger siblings remains a constant challenge.

→ Explore How Our Parish Family Is Making a Difference

A buffalo standing on dirt ground with tall grasses in the background, facing left with a rope tied around its head.

How St. Max is walking with St. Patrick’s

Our Twinning Ministry began its first major Lenten project in 2020:
An ox-plow program for every catechist.

Catechists—some of the poorest in the parish—give up valuable farming time to serve their church. Thanks to your generosity, 183 catechists received plows, yokes, and oxen, transforming their ability to grow food and earn income.

Many now:

  • Plow fields faster

  • Share their oxen with neighbors

  • Rent them to others for extra income

It has been life-changing.

Your generosity is building a future of hope…

Through the 2024 Lenten Project, we are now developing:

  • Irrigation systems

  • Water towers

  • A sample farm at Holy Angels School

This land will become:

  • A training ground for modern farming practices

  • A source of food for 350 students

  • And, with God’s grace, a place that produces surplus crops like tomatoes—never grown in this region before

YOU are making a real difference

Your prayer, compassion, and generosity are helping families in Soroti move from survival to stability, from scarcity to hope. Your generosity is changing lives in Uganda. Be a part of this journey of hope. Donate online by clicking the button below and selecting “Uganda Twinning” in the drop down options.

Support the Twinning Ministry