A New Hope Through Agriculture: The Story of Osborn Anywar

Meet Osborn Anywar, a 14-year-old boy who recently completed our Agricultural skills training and is now happily resettled with his grandparents, Rose and Rupino Oruni. Today, Osborn is thriving.

His early life wasn’t easy. Rejected by his father before birth and left behind when his mother remarried, Osborn grew up in the care of his grandparents. Though loving, they struggled financially and couldn’t support his education. He dropped out of school in 2023.

With nothing much to do at home, Osborn began to lose direction. He started roaming with older boys, coming home late, and engaging in worrying behaviour. “He would leave home in the morning and return late at night. We often feared he had gotten into trouble or something bad had happened to him,” his grandmother shared.

Things started to change in mid-2024 when Osborn attended a community sensitisation where he met our team at Hashtag Gulu Initiative. He expressed his interest in farming and was enrolled in our Agri-business training program.

For Osborn, the farm was more than just a place to learn. “It was fun and very educational. Our trainers were friendly and approachable, even when you didn’t understand something,” he said with a smile.

After his training, Osborn returned home a changed person. His grandparents noticed a big difference. “These days, Osborn is always either at home or in his garden. He doesn’t hang around with bad peers anymore, and he always tells us where he’s going,” his grandmother noted.

As he prepares to receive his start-up farming kit, his grandparents are ready to support him. “We plan to help him build a pigsty and encourage him to save whatever he earns,” she added. “We’re very thankful to Hashtag Gulu for helping him start this new chapter. We just hope they keep checking on him to make sure he stays focused.”

Osborn’s story shows that change is possible with the right support. He reminds us that through agriculture, young people can find purpose, stability, and a future they can build for themselves.