The project will help 120 Uganda women defray the cost of home ownership through acquisition of land. Our women beaders in Jinja have been displaced by the 20 year LRA war in the north that ended in late 2008. Many of the women are now forced to live in the slums in one-room, rented makeshift homes that are constructed of little more than cardboard or dirt. Our courageous women make a living today through sales of beads or micro businesses. This project will move them into homes of their own.
Our Jinja women beaders strive to raise themselves out of poverty. They independently have started their own revolving loan fund from profits from their bead sales. Land in Jinja is very expensive and additional monies are required to help offset the cost of the land. The women are contributing all that they can from their savings but an additional $30,000 USD is required to buy the land on which they can then build a community of small modest homes. Outreach Uganda has raised $20000 to date.
Securing enough monies to buy the land will enable the women to turn their field of dreams into a field of homes for their families. By acquiring the land, the group can then work with the local architect to design a simple self-sustaining community with modest homes, a small community center and garden. The women will be able to obtain individual home loans to build the actual structures.
The new community will offer opportunities for the women to elevate themselves out of poverty and continue to expand their sales of beads and micro-businesses, so that they can finally overcome poverty and change the course of their children's lives. Additionally, our beaders are always willing to "pay it forward." They will continue to train other Uganda women's groups in how to have successful micro-businesses and move themselves out of poverty.
