Empower Child Domestic Workers Through Education

Nakito is the leader of domestic worker association and among the participants that were oriented on the awareness raising curriculum for domestic workers. She formed new mutual support groups and sensitized fellow domestic workers on their rights and responsibilities and encouraged them to join the association and utilize mutual support groups and start saving money. In March 2019, Nakito and 15 other domestic workers in the same mutual support group in Kigowa Ntinda Nakawa division decided to use some of their savings to start a poultry project. The project has now grown to 300 birds which they sell at 10,000/=each and share profits among themselves.

Through the mutual support groups, members have gained many skills like making daddies, crafts, cakes, samosas and weaving mats among others which they supply to different shops. However because of high mobility of domestic workers and loss of jobs, the business is now supported by 10 domestic workers who contribute money to cater for the costs. “The mutual support groups have not only empowered to know our rights and responsibilities but it has been an avenue to start income generating activities, improved on our savings and learn new vocational skills”.

• Products made the domestic workers in groups (DOCX)

NYANGOMA

Nyangoma is a 22 year old former domestic worker in Kifumbira slum Kamwokya. I come from a small village in Kyirandongo, my father passed away when I was five years old and my mother, a subsistence farmer paid for my education until P.7 when she could nolonger afford. I relocated to Kamwokya where I stay with my sister. She found me a job as a domestic worker where I worked for 4 months without pay. I decided to quit and since surviving in Kampala was hard, I moved back to the village. In 2016, the LC1 chairman informed me that an organization known as PLA was registering young people that wanted to acquire vocational skills. I registered and enrolled at KVTC where I studied tailoring for 6 months. My life has since then changed. I am currently a trainer at the sustainable Youth Development Foundation Mpelerwe where I am training four people in tailoring earning 100000 shillings per month. I can now afford to feed myself, get descent clothing as well as save 20,000 shillings per month. In the future, I hope to acquire my own sewing machine and become self employed. My sincere thanks to PLA for granting me this opportunity and I hope it does not stop with me because there are many young people out there that can use these skills to change their lives.

• Nyangoma at work (DOCX)