Forming Leaders in Integral Ecology for Rural Transformation in Uganda

Who Are We?

Bethany Land Institute provides Uganda's rural poor with a two-year, residential integrated education program in regenerative agriculture and economic entrepreneurship.

Inspired by Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical Laudato Si', BLI employs the notion and practice of Integral Ecology to empower local students and communities to combat three major challenges in Uganda: environmental degradation, food insecurity, and poverty.

BLI works within the Laudato Si' Action Platform, actively pursuing the seven Laudato Si' Goals. We recognize the inherent connection between the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, and our program equally recognizes the importance of education, environmentalism, and sound economics.

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"Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature."

Laudato Si' 139

Our Three Pillars

“I want to be a part of the change I want to see, mainly the restoration of Mother Earth.”

 

- Paul Muzalugamba, BLI Commissioned Caretaker

BLI Staff
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BLI News and Information

BLI Expands Presence

By Emma Ziegler | November 6, 2023

Read the official newsletter in its original formatting here. Dear BLI Family, We are excited to update you on the continued growth and activity happening at BLI. With Cohort I Caretakers having graduated and started their own integral ecology farms across Uganda, we are starting to see BLI’s mission embraced by communities across the country.…

New Caretaker Farms

By Emma Ziegler | August 20, 2023

Cohort I has officially graduated from BLI. They were commissioned on July 29, 2023. All 8 Caretakers have started their own farms in various villages across Uganda. Each Caretaker is a member of the SACCO (Savings and Credit Co-Op) and received a small loan to begin their project. Check out Caretaker Alice Nanfuka’s project here…

Just Released!!!

By Emma Ziegler | July 13, 2023

BLI was recently featured in Notre Dame Magazine’s Summer 2023 issue. The story follows Caretaker Alice Nanfuka while also sharing in-depth information about BLI’s founding, journey, and mission. We are thankful for the entire Notre Dame team for sharing this great piece of journalism. You can read or listen to the story here: https://magazine.nd.edu/stories/start-small/. The…

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