East Africa experienced a severe drought. Water supplies and food production were low and placed millions at risk of starvation. Stephen O’Brien, Emergency Relief Coordinator of the United Nations called the famine ‘the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the U.N.” Most Ugandans are subsistence farmers who are at the mercy of the harvest in order to feed their families. Funds were raised to not only provide emergency food relief, but also to improve agricultural practices and long-term food management, including collecting water, installing drip-irrigation systems, and storing food to provide nutrition, improve the local economy, and build community stability into the future.

Gershom Sizomu again entered the race for Uganan Parliament. Gershom is a relentless optimist and a man of action. He doesn’t subscribe to perpetuating negative troupes of oppression and negativity. Having grown up under the reign of Idi Amin, he understands the importance of democracy and using political power to enhance development, peace and friendship. “I could have chosen to stay in the United States,” he explains, “but here in Africa we have important work to do and we must do it together.” He has faith not only in God but in the people of Uganda, and Rabbi Gershom Sizomu reported on Sunday February 20, 2016 “I’m happy to inform you that I was announced winner of the Bungokho north seat for Uganda parliament. The contest was very close and the loser is petitioning court claiming that there were some irregularities. I thank you so much for your support and for believing in me.” His opponent lost his case.

Gershom Sizomu is proud that he built a coalition of Christians, Muslims and Jews to support running for election to the Ugangan Parliament. He won favor with the residents of Bungokho North Mbale district by focusing on accountability, development and his vision of religious tolerance as the foundation of the future of Uganda. Although he was the frontrunner leading up to the election, Rabbi Sizomu lost in the official ballot count. At the behest of his supporters, he is challenging the official results and collecting evidence documenting the ballot stuffing, violence, and other irregularities. Like others committed to true democracy in Africa, Rabbi Sizomu and his followers are non-violent in their attempts to change the political system, although he lost and the case was settled.

Sizomu studied to be at rabbi at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles and after five years, he returned to Uganda where he was formally ordained. He returned to Uganda to continue his goal of bringing the Ugandan community into mainstream Jewish life and to open a Yeshiva to train teachers and rabbis to serve Jewish communities throughout Africa. The festive installation was preceded by a two-day-long Beit Din (religious court), in which some 250 individuals, who had been living as Jews, were formally converted into Judaism.