Emmanuel Katongole, along with two other Ugandan priests, began discussing the problems of deforestation, poverty, and land depletion in rural Uganda. After researching successful agricultural training models and consulting with ecological and farming leaders, they bought a 95-acre plot of land in Luweero, Uganda to plant a forest and set up a model sustainable farm called the Bethany Land Institute. Their aim isn to address the challenges of ecology, food insecurity, and poverty in the rural communities."