AsOne Ministries — Q2 Recap
“Doing things together is more important than doing things alone”
Letter from the CEO
As we come to the close of another quarter of good hard work — I couldn’t be more grateful to spend the last several weeks of it in Uganda with our team that gives of themselves daily toward the transformation of their country. This last quarter was a special one, especially as we consider the growing impact and influence of our work across the country of Uganda.
As I reflect on it, I can’t help but be reminded of Henri Nouwen’s words about the spiritual life, “Doing things together is more important than doing things alone.” The continued development and work of AsOne has been the collection of many stakeholders: Board members, leadership, employees, donors, community members, government officials, students, patients, customers, and more… and for it all to be possible, it has certainly taken these many actors, led by God’s hand.
As you read about the updates from Q2, consider the catalytic and compounding positive change taking place because of your investment into Uganda. Change that is set to grow for years to come. On the ground, the words “Ugandans empowering Ugandans” is not just a catchy phrase, but a lived reality. I feel indebted to all those who have sacrificed and continue to make this ongoing story possible!
Andrew DeVaney
Founder & CEO
Welcome our new U.S. Chief Operating Officer —Michael Sandgren
On April 1st, 2024, Mike Sandgren officially joined AsOne Ministries as the new Chief Operating Officer. Mike has been able to travel to Uganda three times since AsOne's inception and served for two years on our US Board of Directors. Mike has experience serving in the local church and public sector, and has spent the last decade focused on combating issues for individuals facing homelessness in the Denver Metro Area. Mike holds a Master’s of Divinity from Denver Seminary. AsOne is thrilled to have Mike join the team and help lead the growth and impact of AsOne.
“The opportunity to serve with AsOne is truly special for me. It’s been a joy to watch the organization grow over the last several years. I feel deep alignment with AsOne’s mission, vision, and values. I believe the team is doing great work in the right way — creating systems where direct impact is had, and surrounding that impact with methodology rooted in best practices for cross-cultural partnership. It’s humbling and exciting to have the opportunity to join such compelling work.”
Expansion into communities #6 & #7
Expansion is underway in Uganda. To finish the quarter, there are two concurrent projects running in both Serere & Luuka Districts that will prepare to open their doors in early 2025. These projects include an AsOne Nursery & Primary School and Healing Grace Medical Center.
The schools both currently have five buildings under construction with a sixth ready to begin in the third quarter. They will provide education for Nursery - P5 in their first year of operation.
Healing Grace Medical Centers will also open in early January and will bring needed human resource to the medical space in these districts. A full range of services will be offered, including laboratory services and ultrasound scans. These new development projects will bring Christ’s hope through our locally led and financially sustainable model.
Andrew DeVaney, Founder & CEO — presents at Praxis Redemptive Imagination Summit
At the 2024 Praxis Redemptive Imagination Summit, the Nonprofit Fellows from the 2024 Nonprofit Accelerator cohort shared their ventures in a showcase of 4-minute pitch presentations. We invite you to watch Andrew’s presentation on the work that this AsOne community has helped make possible.
Six Operating Schools in 2024
As of this year, we officially have six schools in operation throughout our communities. Collectively, these schools are providing quality, affordable education to 2,500+ students, ranging from pre-school age through high school. Our schools are shining examples of AsOne's model in-action. Donations from folks like you have allowed our Ugandan team to build quality facilities that provide a dignified and empowering educational atmosphere. In turn, our team on the ground has built a business model to allow these schools to sustain themselves through locally-generated revenue (in fact, our education sector is the first to begin generating profit on the local level). Through all of this, the next generation of Ugandan leaders are receiving quality education and discipleship opportunities. We love watching holistic impact happen!
A fast growing team: 320 employees
The work of AsOne is made possible by our staff in Uganda, and the team is growing quickly! Currently, we employ 320 individuals across all of our communities and program areas. These are the teachers sitting with students and investing in their education, the doctors providing prenatal care and delivering babies, the business leaders generating revenue and training others in marketable skills, and the farmers distributing improved seeds across their communities. Our team is young, energetic, dedicated, and passionate about making impact in their communities. They are truly the life of AsOne, working day-by-day to advance our movement of "Ugandans empowering Ugandans."
Farmer Training Programs
A critical part of AsOne’s holistic community development model is our farmer training programs that has been built in collaboration with FIPS-Africa and Seeds of Change. This low-cost and scalable model has been contextualized to serve AsOne’s communities and smallholder farmers and is focused on training them to utilize improved seed varieties, efficient crop spacing, and water retention techniques. AsOne has trained 150 village based advisors that serve as volunteer trainers and capacity builders for now 16,000+ farmers across five districts. This season, farmers are seeing a transformative difference, crops that are feet taller, on their demo gardens where they’ve implemented these technologies. These are the very families that have students at AsOne schools, vocational centers, and are patients at our health facilities. We are thrilled to see them progress in their income building activities.
Immersion Trips: DWU, Sioux Falls Christian, Education Team, and Valor Christian High School
AsOne trips have been in full-swing this summer. We’ve been thrilled to host teams from Dakota Wesleyan University, Valor Christian High School, Sioux Falls Christian Schools, and an Education Team. In Uganda we’re preparing for more travelers in the second half of the summer from New Life Church in Colorado Springs as well as AsOne’s Board of Directors. These partners help fuel and encourage the work being done on the ground by our amazing team of Ugandans. We couldn’t be more grateful for these partnerships that continue to help this work expand across the country. We are grateful for the opportunity to facilitate mutual learning and cross-cultural partnership. Our Immersion Trips are intentionally focused on mutual transformation by helping people see a part of God’s bigger story and the work of the church around the world.
"I am so very grateful for the opportunity to have gone to Uganda with AsOne! The work they are doing is truly impacting countless lives in so many ways. What I love about AsOne immersion trips is that they focus on forming relationships in all situations. Being with the people of Uganda, learning their stories, sharing pieces from my own life, and simply showing love has given me such impactful relationships with people halfway across the world. My immersion trip allowed me to see the powerful work of AsOne in Uganda. One thing that I noticed is how well the Ugandan staff lives out the mission and vision of AsOne! Each person has been placed in a role where their gifts are evident and they use their roles to lead communities, schools, families, and immersion teams with so much grace and joy! AsOne is truly changing hearts and lives in both Uganda and the United States!”
Anna Netjes, Sioux Falls Christian Student
