BABS Initiative

The Robert and Barbara Shaw Memorial Food Forest is located in Nsasa Village, Kammengo Subcounty, Mpigi District at His Grace Demo Farm, owned by Mr. Mubiru Grace. BABS is an acronym for Bob and Barb Shaw’s. The Shaws are the late parents of With Uganda founder, and Executive Director, Kathy Johnson.This initiative was born out of Kathy’s desire to honor the memory of her late parents.Their lives were shining examples of love, kindness and generosity, all traits Kathy holds dear and does her best to model. 

 

Kathy envisioned the food forest as the next logical step in service to the community she has come to love while at the same time creating a lasting legacy in honor of her parents. BABS is home to 250 fruit trees that were planted early in 2024. Kathy is grateful to her 4 siblings, sons, nieces and cousins who contributed to bring her vision to life. The trees include 50 breadfruit trees, a species new to Uganda. Kathy funded the building of a small 2 room guest house and 6 hostel rooms at the farm in hopes that the proceeds earned from renting the rooms to visitors will be used to support the maintenance and expansion of BABS. 

 

In addition to the trees there is a beautiful swing and 5 memorial benches where visitors can sit in the eventual shade and enjoy the forest. On January 11, 2025 BABS was officially dedicated in a day of celebration that included many leaders and members of the surrounding community. The Honorable Amelia Kyambadde served as Keynote speaker and the event was attended by two of Kathy’s cousins and a friend who traveled from the US to attend. Many of Kathy’s Ugandan adult children and grandchildren attended as well as many friends. 

 

Kathy, With Uganda, Inc, His Grace Demo Farm and Niguse Uganda, a local NGO, along with local leadership are all dedicated to ensuring that BABS serve the community. We are committed to providing the community with uplifting programs such as sensitization and education regarding the importance of planting fruit trees to benefit the environment, create income producing jobs as well as provide the community, especially children access to delicious, nutritious fruits. We will be raising money to construct a building so that when the trees begin producing fruit local men and women will have income opportunities by coming to the farm to process the fruits. Excess fruits will be dried and packaged. Breadfruit can be dried, shredded and milled into flour, a healthy alternative to other flours. Our building will eventually house a bakery, another income producing project. 

 

All of these initiatives and ideas take funding. Please consider being a part of our work dedicated to improving the lives of underserved communities. Each one of us has the potential to change a life.