By Karen Sugar | Executive Director
Greetings,
In 2016 our goal is to build capacity in our microfinance and literacy programs. As the region continues to recover and build we are moving forward with the opening of Gulu Women's Resource Center (GWRC), a one stop center providing support, information and referral services to women, families and the region. This center will house our Access to Justice team, Citizen Journalists, and our Peer Counselors. GWRC will provide the community with public space, enabling community members to gather, discuss and find solutions to challenges and inequalities.
Our Healthy Periods Initiative (HPI) seeks to address the challenges and injustice around mentrual health. We have created a microfinance and health initiative around the creation of a sanitary product which will be affordable, accessible, and relevant for women and girls. Our pilot project is underway (see photos) with the goal of being fully operational by mid-summer. Our pilot project group is made up of young mother; 16-18 women in need of economic opportunity and support. This project has incredible social and economic implications, and is one of our most important new projects.
This year WGEF will provide over 400 women the opportunity to participate in our literacy program. To date we have had over 1150 women go thru our program and we seeking to double our offering this year. Literacy and basic education is a human right, this is not 'charity' but a life changing program that addresses the right of all people to an education.
First quarter of 2016 saw WGEF provide 812 new loans, including 317 agro loans; these loans enable women and families to lead dignified, productive and creative lives. Our robust agriculture program is addressing food insecurity in a meaningful and highly impactul way.
While microfinance is the cornerstone of our program, we believe it is only one component in addressing the complexities of poverty and injustice. In the latest national elections WGEF had 10 clients contesting for elected offie with 5 of them winning! What makes our program unique is our focus on literacy, leadership development, and a 'rights based' approach to development. We hope you are inspired and continue to support WGEF!
Thank you for your commitment to women's empowerment...
Karen
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
