15 years of Love, Mercy, and Transformation
Fifteen years ago, an unlikely friendship sparked a movement that would change thousands of lives in northern Uganda.
It began in 2008 when Australian Olympian Eloise Wellings met Julius Achon—a former Olympian, child soldier, and selfless caretaker of 13 orphaned children. Their paths crossed in Portland, Oregon, while training at Nike. Eloise was recovering from another stress fracture with a dream to make it to the Olympics. Julius was working for Nike, pacing young athletes and sending money home to his family. As Julius shared his story of survival, resilience, and love for his community, a vision took shape. What started with a simple $100 donation for food soon became something far greater—a mission to break cycles of poverty through empowerment, dignity, and opportunity.
Laying the Foundation
In 2010, alongside Caitlin McGrath, a development student passionate about making an impact, Love Mercy Foundation was born. The initial goal was to sponsor the children Julius had taken in, but during that first fundraiser, every child was sponsored within hours. Then, Julius made a simple but urgent request: “People in my village are dying of famine. Can we send $100 for rice?” In the peak and wake of the civil war, humanitarian assistance had been going to Uganda for a while in the form of emergency food parcels. Yet, people were still dying. There had to be a sustainable solution. Instead of sending food, Love Mercy launched a revolutionary idea—Cents for Seeds, a program based on the micro-finance model of the Grameen Bank. However, instead of money loans, the program would use seeds. Women, who form 79% of the agricultural labour force, yet were disproportionately affected by poverty, low literacy rates and limited access to income and resources, would be the key beneficiary. Playing a major role in the family unit through caretaking and farming, women would be empowered to create their own future through a hand up, not a handout. These seed loans would enable women to grow their own food, become financially independent, and sustain their families.
Cents for Seeds began with just 100 women in Barr Village. At the same time, in Awake Village, another dream was coming to life. Julius had long wished to build a medical clinic in memory of his mother, Kristina, who had died from an untreated wound. With the help of Jim Fee, Co-Founder of Achon Uganda Children’s Fund (AUCF) in Oregon, and in partnership with Love Mercy Foundation, the Kristina Health Centre (KHC) opened its doors in 2012, providing critical healthcare to a community in desperate need.
Growth and Challenges
The impact was immediate. Cents for Seeds expanded to 547 women in 2011, and by 2016, over 7,000 women were participating. Love Mercy continued to grow, with the local team expanding to include skilled agronomist and financial trainers, enabling the launch of village savings and loan groups alongside agricultural training. Meanwhile, at the Kristina Health Centre, a patient ward and ambulance were added to meet the growing need and strengthening AUCF and LMF’s relationship. In 2017, after a trip to Uganda revealed the dire need for birthing services, the maternity ward was added, ensuring that women could safely give birth.
However, challenges persisted. Climate change brought devastating weather patterns, with communities experiencing five consecutive seasons of drought, floods, hailstorms, locust plagues and heavy rainfall. Food and water became scarce once again, and over 70% of crops were lost one year.
But the resilience of Cents for Seeds participants was undeniable. The women, equipped with savings groups and emergency plans, adapted and endured. Even during COVID-19, the Kristina Health Centre played a vital role, educating communities and distributing protective gear.
In 2019, the first group of students from the University of New South Wales, named Drought Resistance Uganda, travelled to Uganda to investigate what climate resilience could look like for our programs. They installed weather stations with a hope to map changing weather data, utilising it as a tool for Cents for Seeds communities.
The second half of 2019 saw a fundraiser take place in Uganda – a 500km running journey over 5 days from the capital city to Lira town.
A Decade and a Half of Impact
By 2020, Cents for Seeds had reached 17,800 women, and the clinic had treated over 32,000 patients. The Well Worth It program, launched in 2018, had drilled 22 new wells, recognising that access to clean water was just as crucial to wellbeing as food security.
The past five years have seen even greater milestones:
2021: The decision was made to transition KHC to a Level IV facility, meaning an onsite surgical theatre will soon be available for emergency care.
2022: A state-of-the-art ambulance was added to service not only the clinic, but the whole district. Love Mercy farmers experienced their worst harvest and return to date, following four seasons of drought and the final effects of Covid-19. Our water program expanded to include repairs and maintenance of existing water sources.
2023: Another season of drought sped up strategic discussions on climate resilience strategies. The outreach program at KHC expanded beyond the local village to cover the whole district, opening up antenatal appointments to nearly 30,000 women each year. Thanks to AUCF, the addition of an outreach vehicle was added to service the expanding program.
2024: The first year of adjustments to program design, including rainwater harvesting, irrigation pilots and new seed types. For the first time in a few years, there is hope for what is ahead. Our 6th annual Huber Social Impact Report: Women in Cents for Seeds reported +8% higher wellbeing than those not yet in the program. This is the highest positive year-on-year shift since we began measuring social impact in 2018. Additionally, participants reported feeling 15% more hope for the future than those not yet in the program.
2025: Water access expansion: Love Mercy repaired 18 wells in early 2025 alone, ensuring even more communities have access to safe drinking water. Cents for Seeds has now impacted over 32,000 women, benefiting entire communities by increasing food security, financial independence, and levels of wellbeing. The Well Worth It program has enabled more than 90 wells to be drilled, over 500 well repairs, and restored clean water access to over 150,000 people across northern Uganda. Kristina Health Centre has provided basic and essential medical care to over 80,000 patients and ensured 1,500 babies are born safely into this world.
Looking Ahead
As we enter 2025, our vision remains bold. We are working to refine Cents for Seeds into a five-year pathway to self-sufficiency, allowing us to expand even further. At the Kristina Health Centre, the transition to Level IV status will see the construction of an onsite emergency theatre to provide life-saving medical services never before available in the region. Our water program is on a mission to see 200 communities provided with clean water access for the first time.
Fifteen years ago, this journey began with one friendship, one conversation, and one act of generosity. Today, it stands as a testament to what is possible when compassion meets action.
Thank you for being part of this story. We can't wait to see what the next 15 years will bring!