Brenda & Jason Sommer

Co-Founded of Develop Sustainability Org.

Jason and Brenda met in Oregon as kids, and got married in 1992. Life started with a pretty ordinary story— living in Oregon, working normal jobs, raising 2 children, and doing the usual things that people do.

BUT, life is a journey that doesn’t stop— until it stops…

By the mid 2000’s they found themselves participating in a variety of community outreach initiatives, including vulnerable children care and crime victim advocacy. Eventually this brought them to leadership and responsibility over dozens of International Sustainability Focused Projects — to aid in creating sustainable foundations for existing partners and championing for human rights, against human trafficking and poverty.

Their vision, experience and skills merged the importance of cultural and practical relevance — through mentorship, practical projects and hands-on demonstration programs. Their efforts have aided in the development of impoverished and under-employed communities, globally. A basic Sustainability Model was the theme that persisted and by 2016, they have personally installed economy & sustainability boosting projects in Zimbabwe, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar-Burma, Belize, The Gambia, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Brenda and Jason had found passion and a real purpose in their work— and had developed a special fondness for Uganda, Africa. And in 2017, they took the steps to establish their own 501c3 Non-Profit, and officially founded the Develop Sustainability Organization.

In 2018, Jason and Brenda moved full time to Uganda— where they reside and continue to oversee;  an extensive Add-Value & Permaculture Farming Program, Aquaponic Farming Initiatives, a Primary School, a Vocational Apprenticeship Program, Student and Family Outreach Initiatives and where they spend their days actively empowering rural communities and the people within them. They dedicate their time, skills and energy— to mold, encourage and build a stronger and more empowered Uganda— while addressing some of the most complex and pressing issues of poverty.