Economic Growth Uganda Project #35813

Business training + loans for women & youth

by Hope Center Uganda

Project Report | May 31, 2021
2021 Fundraising Facing Obstacles

By Jamie Stuart, Ella Simmons, Kevin Okumu | Co-Founders

Dear donors, friends and family of Hope Center Uganda,

Over the past 5 months we have faced many difficulties, both on the ground in Uganda and fundraising from abroad. In years past, in-person fundraising events and internship donations typically covered all of our operating costs. Without these income streams we have been struggling to keep our doors open, and expanding any programs has been nearly impossible.

As some of you know, the importance and appeal of Uplift is that while it empowers the entire community in Northern Uganda by providing women the tools they need to grow their small businesses, it also powers the Hope Center. Our goal of being a self-sustainable NGO can only be accomplished once the Uplift "bank" is funded to the point where we can provide enough loans that repayment interest will cover the operating costs of the rest of the center.

This goal for self-sustainability is at the core of what we are working so hard for every day. This year has not brought us as close to our goal as we expected, so if you have anything to share, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much, we hope everyone has had a safe and somewhat sane year!

Team HCU <3

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Dec 3, 2020
Ending 2020 with Strength and Courage

By Jamie Stuart, Ella Simmons, Kevin Okumu | HCU Co-Founders

Dearest Donors,

We thank you for bearing with us through a very tough and unpredictable year. We send our thoughts and prayers to everyone reading this message, wishing you a safe remainder of 2020 and lovely holiday season.

COVID-19 was a tough hit for Uganda. It had a severe impact on the economy, where food prices soared as trade slowed and public markets, the primary supply for local groceries and trade, were banned.

Now, Hope Center Gulu begins to make a comeback. Of Uplift’s 700 constituents of the microfinance loan program, 200 defaulted on their loan. This is the first time we have ever had any constituent default on a loan, and when we look at the current economic landscape in Uganda, we know these women tell the truth when they say they defaulted because of coronavirus related impact.

We will provide these 200 women with an additional loan to get them on their feet again, under the agreement that they will pay back both the cost of the new loan and the previous one they had defaulted on.

Furthermore, thanks to a generous donation from an English donor, we are able to reach an additional 350 women with loans this year. These women are currently in our Uplift microfinance training program, and once the training is over, they can use their loans to start and grow small businesses that benefit them, their family, and their community.

This year has set us back on our fundraising goals, but we still hope to become self-sustainable in the next five years. To help us on that journey, please donate to Uplift, to provide even more women with even more loans, so they can help their communities, but also so they can help continue our own programs through the interest rates they pay on the loans.

Wishing you a joyful winter season,

Team HCU

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Mar 30, 2020
COVID-19 hits Hope Center Uganda

By Kevin Okumu, Jamie Stuart, Ella Simmons | Co-Founders

Dearest Donors,

We hope that this mail finds you all okay, and we wish everyone the best during these unpredictable and trying times.

Gulu has had its first confirmed cases of COVID-19, and Uganda has shut down schools, transport, and public businesses. Therefore HCU has to pause all programming until further notice. However, our staff remain on full salaries and will be continuing to work from home, focusing on things like strategy and planning, grant applications, and production of reusable sanitary pads for our women’s health programs.

We understand the future is uncertain for many people worldwide, and now might be a tougher time than ever to donate. However we ask that if you have anything to give, you don’t forget about us! The majority of fundraising events are organised by one of our co-founders, Jamie, who is based in Switzerland. Her town was hit particularly hard by COVID-19, which forced her to cancel all future fundraising events for the next 3 months: events which were estimated to raise at least $3,000 we needed to cover next quarter's operating costs.

This means we come up short on next quarter’s operating costs, which are about $2,000 and cover staff salaries, food and supplies for the children and students.

We will rely completely on online donations to fill this gap to meet these costs. We must ensure our staff (who are single mothers) can receive their full pay during these trying times, and feed their families and focus on their work despite rising food prices and increased stress. We also must do our best in support and solidarty with our thousands of beneficiaries who are small business owners in Uganda, in order to make it through these trying times together.

We sincerely wish the best for you and your families and hope that you are staying safe.

Best wishes from Team HCU

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