Uganda
Unterstützung für Uganda
Information about Uganda & Bwera
Welcome to Bwera, Uganda
Many of us live in countries of privilege – if we hit hard times, we still enjoy basic support – financially as well as medically. We enjoy freedom of speech and - even if there is still a lot to do on many levels - women, LGBTQs,… have achieved a reasonable (if not totally equal) societal status. However, this is not the case in many other countries.
In 2013, together with my former colleague Steve Garrett, I travelled to Bwera, Uganda. Bwera is located in West Uganda, directly at the border to the Congo. The purpose for our trip was to visit and support the small, local charity organisation BCPU.
The people there and the project have grown dear to my heart - and I also feel a certain responsibility to pay forward some of my privilege. Therefore, I decided to dedicate a page on my website to this project.
What can your donations achieve?
- In bad times, the donations are being used to feed the people and to provide them with basic care. The organisation requires approximately €1000 per month to feed everyone. During Corona lockdown, your donations were life savours!
- The donations can pay for school education and academic training:
- €30 a monthpays for a Primary School Child.
- €50 a month pays for a secondary school student
- €70 a month pays for a Tertiary Institution course
- €100 a month pays for a University student. €100 pro Monat
- dozen of books: €2
- Future plans: BCPU hopes to build
- their own Primary and Secondary School estimated at €200.000.
- a Talent and Skills Development Training Center at €100.000
- NAWU and BCPU are constantly working to establish small business ventures so that the women can provide for themselves. For this purpose, the organisation invests in equipment and materials.
Examples: with computers they have opened a small internet cafe. This way not only the organisation but also other people benefit from access to the internet (job search, application letters, school work, ...) With a car they can not only drive the women to the field and transport equipment, they can also set up a small "taxi business" and help other people to overcome greater distances and transport goods. (Many people drag their harvest sacks through the mountains for 4 hours to get to the market).
The Organisations: BCPU & NAWU
The project, Bwera Charity Project Uganda (BCPU), has been founded and is led by Pedson Kasume and has the following aims:
- to provide quality education to Orphans and Vulnerable children (OVCs)*
- to socially and economically empower single women such as widows, single mothers, HIV victim women and Teenage mothers by supporting them access capital to set up income generating activities for self-economic independence and sustainability in rural western Uganda.
*In Uganda, children are regarded as orphans when their father has died as the woman don’t have much status as yet. Often, when the husband dies, the family of the husbands takes the little belongings the woman and the children have, away. They often end up on the street.
Make a difference with your donation & support our projects
NAWU (‘Nyamambuka Abayiterene Widows Union’)
The women who meet at BCPU foundedNAWU (‘Nyamambuka Abayiterene Widows Union’). NAWU is a group of 30 rural women working together in various projects against poverty in Western Uganda, to
- support single women against sexual abuse and harassment by men
- enhance the rights of women against unfair local cultural inheritance system
- protect vulnerable women against social discrimination and violence
- support independence among local women through establishment of longterm sustainable projects such as vocational Skills entities/ schools
- foster community development through practical skills development.
Here can you meet the people, the place and the organisation:
Uganda – some facts:
- Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world. Most of the people live from hand to mouth - through self-subsistence farming - and earn a little extra by selling the surplus, breeding animals or the like.
- Uganda is home to the highest mountain range in Africa, the longest river in the world and the largest lake on the continent. Half of the remaining mountain gorillas reside here.
- Most people live without electricity. Irons are still operated with coal and so are the cooking stoves.
- Languages: English (official), Luganda and Swahili
- About 6% of the adult population is infected with HIV and malaria is a big problem for many. However, life expectancy has risen from about 53 to 62 years in the last 10 years.
- On average, a woman in Uganda spends about 9 hours on household tasks such as fetching water, cooking, caring for children and the elderly. There is hardly any time left for profit-generating activities.
- LGBTQ is a strong cultural taboo.
What can your donations achieve?
Aims & projects
- In bad times, the donations are being used to feed the people and to provide them with basic care. The organisation requires approximately €1000 per month to feed everyone. During Corona lockdown, your donations were life savours!
- The donations can pay for school education and academic training:
- €30 a monthpays for a Primary School Child.
- €50 a month pays for a secondary school student
- €70 a month pays for a Tertiary Institution course
- €100 a month pays for a University student.
- €2 buys a dozen of books.
- Future plans: BCPU hopes to build
- their own Primary and Secondary School estimated at €200,000
- a Talent and Skills Development Training Center at €100,000
- NAWU and BCPU are constantly working to establish small business ventures so that the women can provide for themselves. For this purpose, the organisation invests in equipment and materials.
Examples: with computers they have opened a small internet cafe. This way not only the organisation but also other people benefit from access to the internet (job search, application letters, school work, ...) With a car they can not only drive the women to the field and transport equipment, they can also set up a small "taxi business" and help other people to overcome greater distances and transport goods. (Many people drag their harvest sacks through the mountains for 4 hours to get to the market).
Success Stories:
BCPU and NAWU have touched and improved the lives of many people. Here are a few of their stories:
AJUNA JOYCE
Joyce is one of our young women who graduated as a Nursery Teacher just before lockdown.
ANTHONY KUSOLO
Tony arrived at our offices from Eastern Uganda in 2013 after dropping out of school. He has lost both his parents.
DELTON BWAMBALE
Bwambale, though he still has both parents alive, they were unable to educate him.
