Support 225 adolescent mothers to thrive in Uganda

Imagine starting a life of struggle at just 10 years old. What kind of future would that child have? At Act4Africa, we always believe that change is possible.

Martha, a 23-year-old mother of one, is one of the young women whose story has turned the tables. This beautiful young woman dropped out of school at the age of 10 to start working and supporting her siblings. Life was incredibly tough. Her confidence was completely shattered by the adults she worked for, who believed that a child had no right to speak.

She faced harassment from different men, forcing her to move from one job to another. Over time, she lost hope and a sense of self-worth. But guess what? Because of kind-hearted people like you, Martha got a chance to redefine the life she dreamed of.

When she walked through the gates of Act4Africa, Martha had no idea that this was exactly the turning point she needed. She joined our mentorship sessions, which included leadership and life-skills workshops on topics such as negotiation, decision-making, assertiveness, and self-management. She also attended sessions on women’s physical and mental health, sexual and reproductive health, stress management, and overall wellbeing.

Martha then received training in making basic snacks like chapati, samosas, mandazi, and daddies. This was followed by a session on financial literacy and management—which turned out to be the game changer. Act4Africa also provided her with a business start-up kit to help her diversify her income.

Through this journey, Martha began to brighten up. She immediately started envisioning a new version of herself—one with bigger dreams than she had ever imagined. She laid out strategies to grow her snack business and boldly started moving from shop to shop, looking for customers. This action, combined with her newfound confidence, transformed her into a driven businesswoman with ambition and vision.

She went from selling a few nuts and earning just 10,000 shillings a week to supplying multiple shops in her neighborhood and making 30,000 shillings weekly. Now, she’s dreaming even bigger, hoping to expand her snack business to serve a much wider market. In her words:
“My only problem now is that the demand is high, but my capital is still limiting.”

The organization pledges to support Martha and other young women to see their dreams become a reality.

Act4Africa deeply appreciates your continued support—because without it, young women like Martha would have no hope to hold onto.