After roughly 70 hours of travel and a week packed with meetings, ROWAN Co-founder Kelsey Hargadine is back in the States with lots to share.
Thanks to many fruitful conversations with the mining company, other local leaders, churches, powerful political figures, and NGOs on the ground, there’s simply too much to put in an email.
For the first time ever, we held a Zoom meeting where Kelsey shared inside details of her trip, takeaways from the meetings, a breakdown of what the mining company plans to do, and powerful testimonies of God’s handiwork in the region.
The mining crisis that threatens our region is on the horizon, and we’re getting a head start by collaborating with lawyers who are advocating for the most dignified treatment of our orphans and widows.
Adversity on the Horizon
Among other updates shared in the zoom video, we found that the mining company will likely not directly affect our region immediately, although it has already begun affecting people’s lives as they begin to move away out of fear, constant anxiety and uncertainty of one’s future.
As scary as it feels, we know that these widows and orphans need our steadfast support now more than ever.
If you found out that your home might be torn down in 10 years, would you move out now? Of course not!
In the same way, we’re using this time to plan and prepare for the next chapter of ROWAN serving the vulnerable citizens of Uganda while advocating for the rights and proper treatment of the widows and orphans there, now.
What is going on with the mining process? Good News to Report: The Attorney General has enforced a law that before a mining license can be issued to the mining company, they MUST show a Resettlement Action Plan (which they have yet to reveal), AND fully compensate every household affected by the mining prior to obtaining the license! This is in direct support of the Surface Land Agreement our communities signed (details in October 2023 post).
This has caused a huge standstill and frustration for the mining company, who assumed they could move forward without those actions in place. Now, we wait and see what the mining company presents in their resettlement plan Draft.
What have the Christmas funds supported this year?
The funds have secured our legal team for 2023, as well as supported large meetings with key stakeholders and leaders in the government to ensure the rights of the people are prioritized.
Our legal team is being threatened. Our founder, Pastor Paul, is being threatened. But every time I speak with them, they are not shaken. They are hopeful in God’s protection and see His miracles every day. If you would like to join our Intercessory Prayer Network, please email info@loverowan.com to sign up.
What’s the Biggest Prayer Request?
We pray we can see every woman and child sponsored to support them in this time of trial. We continue to pursue our mission and vision to see that
**Every widow a leader and Every orphan a beloved child.**
ROWAN is working with our legal team to execute a comprehensive empowerment plan that will educate all the people on their land rights, what all is included in the Surface Rights Agreement, and empower them to make their best decisions as their representatives. This will include face to face weekly meetings from now through December, radio talk shows, involving high level leaders in government with the people, and ensuring every person knows their rights as land owners.
ROWAN is purposefully not getting loud and active outside Uganda, because we know and believe that the strongest voice in this fight is the voice of the people. We give everything we can to empower them to speak up for their lives, land and freedom.
Will it be easy? Absolutely not.
Do we know the outcome will be best for our people? No we don’t.
Will we have to be displaced and lose all of our land? We don’t know.
But what we DO know, is that God is with us. And He is going to protect His people. And we as an organization Dare to Hope that our God is able. Standing with ROWAN is standing with every widow, no matter what, until the end.
What do we need? Join our prayer team. Email info@loverowan.com and ask to be added to prayer team. Weekly emails sent out on how to best pray for this threat.
As you have stood by us during this unforeseen mining crisis that has entered our region, I wanted to give you a real time update on what ROWAN is doing to actively protect and fight for the rights not only our beneficiaries, but over 2 MILLION affected by this project.
For the past month, we as ROWAN, along with the support and guidance of the local lawyers out of Kampala have guided negotiations between the mining company and the people.
What are we negotiating?
As the mining company uses their exploratory license to find minerals in our region, their next goal would be to get a signed MOU from individual land owners to obtain a mining license. Initially this MOU was found to be extremely shallow, with zero interest in the peoples’ rights and need for compensation. The mining company had a plan to divide and conquer in order to obtain such signatures.
Thankfully, through the collaborative efforts of our ROWAN staff and lawyer team, we educated the community to stand together as one. The community is now working in unity across 3 Districts!
Our lawyers are actively visiting the affected communities and educating people on their rights. They are guiding our steps and standing in the gap between the government, mining company, and the PAPs (Project Affected Persons.)
It is a long road ahead, but we are hopeful in God’s protection and provision of His children.
When you stand with ROWAN, you are not only supporting the orphans and widows in our program, but you are supporting our advocacy efforts. It is no surprise to our God that we are located at the heart of this crisis, and we have unshakeable faith that God will show us the opportunity to impact millions for His Kingdom! What an honor.
The most important thing right now is to intercede for the ministry and those on the front lines of this effort.
Watch this Crucial video (about 7 minutes) to meet our lawyers and real time updates from Uganda.
Sometimes, an obstacle looms so large in your life that it’s hard to see through or around it.
Have you ever been there? You’re staring up at your own personal Goliath, speechless, prayerless, and breathless. If you feel that way, we invite you to fall back on these 3 simple prayer requests:
Peace
ROWAN is paying for the best local lawyers to represent 70,000 people who will be displaced from mining. Pray for peace in their hearts that they are cared for and valued.
Protection
Please pray for Pastor Paul and his family, who face a lot of pressure, threats, and intimidation as they stand in the gap and advocate for our widows and orphans. Pray also that ROWAN as an organization would be protected so that we can continue to do God’s work in this region.
Provision
Join us in knocking down God’s door as we pray for provision. This is both in terms of finances as well as the right people to lead ROWAN into this season of advocacy.
Our region is being directly threatened by a private mining company called Ionic Rare Earths, locally called Rwenzori Rare looking to extract minerals from the soil under ROWAN. This mining project is called, “The Makuutu Project.” From recent reports from Ionic:
“Makuutu is owned 100% by Ugandan registered Rwenzori Rare Metals Limited (RRM) which at the time was owned 85% by South African registered Rare Earth Elements Africa Proprietary Limited (REEA). IonicRE has entered into a binding option agreement with both companies that enables it to acquire up to a 60% direct interest in RRM, and thereby up to a 60% indirect interest in Makuutu. It was announced on Ionic’s website in April that:
Ionic Rare Earths signs milestone non-binding MOU with global rare earth giant Chinalco
Chinalco is the world’s largest rare earth miner and separator by market capitalization *The parties to cooperate to accelerate mine development and production of the Makuutu Rare Earth Project including potential off take agreements and Project funding *Attracting Chinalco is a significant endorsement of the Makuutu Project as a globally strategic long-life supply of critical and heavy rare earths…Read more
Kelsey traveled to Uganda to meet with the Rwenzori Rare Metals manager and to partner with other local leaders, churches, and NGOs on the ground to explore the best way forward for our community.
Our goal? We sought to collaborate and find a way to preserve the dignity of the thousands (later learned that it is millions) of people who would be displaced by this mining endeavor.
Listen to Kelsey break down more details here: (If you’re familiar with ROWAN, start the video at about 11 minutes 38 seconds. The first 11 minutes contain the origin story of ROWAN, while the details of the crisis start at about 13 minutes 20 seconds.)
The mining project recorded slow progress during the first and second quarter of 2025. That notwithstanding, global mining experts warn of the risk of minerals shortages following China’s recent trade restrictions which impact on many companies relying on rare earth metals for their automotive industry.
In what appears to be a renewed commitment towards Makuutu Mining Project, IonicRE – the co-owner of Rwenzori Rare Metals, is currently gearing-up for partners in the US focusing on establishing a refining facility to process intermediate products from the company’s 60% owned Makuutu Rare Earth Project in Uganda. Several discussions with strategic partners in the US is expected to be concluded by close of this year to highlight Makuutu’s mining potential as the most advanced Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) project globally.
Due to the recent trade wars between China and USA, partners and stakeholders now want Makuutu Project implementation fast-tracked to tap into the vast opportunities created by automakers in US, Europe and Japan who inevitably rely on rare earths for manufacturing both internal combustion engines and electric vehicles.
We are yet to establish further developments and how strategic the recent China restrictions on its rare earth metals would benefit the Makuutu Mining Project in Uganda.
It is expected that a strategic meeting of stakeholders and partners will be held in or about late August, 2025 in Uganda to push the Makuutu mining agenda forward. It is also expected that compensation of the PAPs shall form part of the agenda for that meeting. We hope to provide further updates after the meeting.
Using training from Care International in Uganda, community members have started several successful savings and loans groups to promote self-reliance and encourage others to reach their goals and follow their dreams.
From these groups we have seen many small businesses born! Our founder, Pastor Paul calls these groups “the backbone to the ministry.”
Today I want to highlight one of those groups — the Kirabo savings group. This group conducts their business by meeting together every Tuesday. The total number of members is about 30, and all of those members are part of a special group in ROWAN. Each time they meet there is a range of 2,000-10,000 Uganda shillings saved and together this group has saved a total of 3,500,000 shillings (over $3,000 usd) since they started!
George, who is also a zone leader for ROWAN, has also gone through business training. Because of the money he was able to set aside through Kirabo savings group, he was in a better position to start his mobile money business and is now making a profit.
Madina Mutesi sells second hand clothing to bring in money to provide for her family. When she started in the savings group, she had about 30,000 shillings, but that has grown to over 400,000 shillings and she now has a successful business.
Conflict in parts of South Sudan continues, and as a result, hundreds of thousands of people are being displaced to neighboring countries. Many of those refugees face food shortages, life-threatening illnesses and the fear of imminent violence. Other difficulties include an abrupt halt to education, the hyperinflation of food and necessities and inability to receive much-needed medical care due to various obstacles. According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, “one million South Sudanese children are not able to attend school, and nearly five million people face severe food shortages.” Even those who are fortunate enough to escape to another country are struggling because of these factors.
-South Sudanese man- “Since the fighting started again in Juba, I had to send my wife and my six-year-old son to Uganda. I don’t want them to be here. Life [here] is not only insecure but also very expensive, while in Uganda, even as refugees, they have access to health and education. When I was a child, in 1989, I fled South Sudan because of the war [1983 to 2005] and spent more than 20 years working in Khartoum and Darfur. In 2012, I came back hoping the independence would give us a better life. But all that hope is lost now. Selling vegetables in my small shop gives me around 7,000 pounds every month, which I need to convert to US dollars to send to my family in Uganda. With the current exchange rate, I barely get 100 dollars – three or four times less than [only a few] months ago. The currency depreciation has made supporting my family harder. Food prices are getting ridiculous in the market. For the past few months, they are three, four or even five times more expensive. Before, one banana used to cost 10 pounds. Now, it’s 50! How are people going to buy from my shop? I never rest. I work all week – more than 10 hours a day – just to keep surviving. It makes no sense to me. I’m considering leaving South Sudan for good and joining my family in Uganda. I think it will be better for all of us.” (http://allafrica.com/stories/201609151142.html)
About a month ago, 1,700 South Sudanese were arriving in Uganda each day. That number is rapidly growing and funds are getting thin. There is a push to register all of the refugees in Uganda in order to secure safety and peace of mind for residents near the transit centres. And rations have been cut in half, just so the demand for food can be met. Many pregnant women who have fled South Sudan are fighting to keep themselves and their unborn babies healthy due to the rapid increase in population at the temporary housing for refugees. They receive the same rations as everyone else, and often that is just not enough to sustain them and the life growing inside.
These refugees are people with families and hopes and dreams much like our own. They have been ripped from their homes, torn away from family and face insurmountable obstacles on a daily basis. Would you join us in praying for the leadership of this war-torn country? Pray that God would bring peace and people would eventually be able to return to their homeland. Pray for these precious people; that they would receive the nutrition, medical care and education they need. And finally, pray about helping to support the organizations providing aid and relief in these uncertain times in South Sudan. Want to know more how YOU can make a difference? Read more about the conflict in South Sudan here.
I don’t know about you, but I’m still adjusting to the fact that we are almost through July. Where did the summer go? While we’re at it, where did the last year go? As I turned 42 last week, I took time to reflect on the past year as well as check in with myself and how my heart is doing. Below are the few words I wanted to share with you – those who have committed to serving the Lord through ROWAN.
You have walked with us on this ROWAN journey, some have even traveled arm in arm with me to Uganda. Some of you I’ve never met, but we are connected to the heartbeat of the women and children. You have trusted ROWAN to maximize every dollar raised, and there are no words to express our gratitude. As you can view in the annual report, the ROWAN board is diligent to make sure every dollar is maximized and multiplied to support our women and children.
All our children are all in school, and the elementary kids are attending our weekly Saturday program at the Hall of Hope.
Our clinic serves our village community daily.
Our farm is harvesting food that supports our feeding programs, and providing training ground for our widows for their personal homes.
Hope in Jesus continues to be our anthem.
As most of you know, the past 2 years have been extremely challenging concerning mining in our region. In December of 2022, ROWAN raised over $88,000 which provided legal representation, purchased land to build a relocation office, and continues to empower our communities through weekly meetings. The report here shares all that we were able to accomplish last year as well as continue to meet with our lawyers and promote the rights of our precious people.
With all the progress from above, I admit that I’ve struggled with fear and doubt. There are countless nights I’ve laid awake wondering if I should give up. As ROWAN staff were bullied, threatened and even arrested for standing up for the people’s rights, I thought to myself, “There must be someone else better to handle this crisis. This is too much. I’m not strong enough.”
That thought ever cross your mind?
Moses must have felt the same way when God called him to speak on His behalf. (In Kelsey’s abridged version) Moses reminded God Almighty, “Um, you may have forgotten but…. I have a serious speech impediment. I’m Not your guy!”
Oh the countless times I’ve reminded God, “I’m not your gal!” And you know what I heard? “You’re right. You can’t do this on your own. That’s why you need me, and I’m bringing you others who will walk with ROWAN.” And that is exactly what He is doing.
So friends, these first 6 months may not have been the most visible, but God is re-working and uniting the staff and boards across the globe to see His vision for our future. I would say 50% of the work ROWAN is doing is unseen. We may not be building houses, but we are building a foundational bridge of empowerment and vision for our next chapter.
We are taking this crisis and turning it into an opportunity for God to show us the way forward.
In August the USA and Uganda board will meet and seek God’s direction for the next 5 years, and we need your prayers!
Meanwhile, what is our current need? Our kids have outgrown their uniforms! Please join us and support our “Back to School” campaign that will help each child get a new uniform and school supplies that will take them into the next year! $80 will supply uniform, shoes and school supplies! More info coming out next week!
In hope,
Kelsey
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