Training of Rural Women in Uganda

We are non-Governmental Organization (NGO), registered way back in year 2000. Certificate No. 3371 with Operational offices in kikajjo village off Nakawuka road Nsangi Sub-county Wakiso District

It was founded by 2 visionary people, one time- tested lady Nurse (Sophie) critically observed that low self-esteem, and lack of economic survival skills, were 2 factors, preventing many rural women in Uganda, from full participation in personal and national development. This became a shared vision with Augustine, a retired bank official, who felt that rural women were facing a cute economic hardship which could gradually be overcome, through positive influence and skills training.

TORUWU is run by an Executive Committee consisting of 7 members with the Projects Coordinators managing the day to day running of the Organization on board we have also included a Kidney transplant survivor (Rebecca Nayiga) who successfully underwent a surgery in Turkey some 2 years ago. She is our Secretary and also an advocate for Kidney sufferers.

She does a lot of awareness and counseling to people about the dangers of this rare disease.

TORUWU’s mission: is to equip women especially mothers of the disabled children with economic survival skills and knowledge, plus leadership attitudes, so that they can fully take care of themselves and their families.

Goals and Programs of the Organization.

In the first 5-10 years of our existence, our principal focus was the rural women. And nearly all our activities were vocational skills training and economic survival empowerment for women.

But as years rolled by and experience widened, we realized that it was not practical, to entirely focus on empowering the rural women alone, without doing anything for the children and for the youth and adult community (generally), since the rural woman, in her individual homestead, also stays with a child, a teen age girl, or a grandmother (Jajja) of the family.

And to date TORUWU runs its programs under 3 thematic areas.

1. EDUCATION

   We run a small infant school (Nursery – Primary Seven) for the last 12 years now mainly focusing on children from needy families. Currently, we have a total of 175 pupils. The school also serves as an income generating project and we fight each day to uplift its standards so that we can get income to support the children with disabilities. However, currently we spend most of the money from school on paying teachers and food.

Challenges

1. The school’s expenses are quite big that we almost fail to pay the the school teachers and food.

2. The school classrooms plus furniture are also lacking. We hope in future if funds allow we can build more classrooms and also add more furniture.

3. Lack of a school Van to aid needy children that come from far and want to study from our school.

2. INCOME GENERATION

   We extend skills to a good number of women mainly mothers of children with disabilities.

 We engage them in programs like (Baking, Poultry and Piggery farming, Tailoring, Wine making, making of craft)

Some years back we introduced a savings and credit scheme for these women members and good news every Thursday they meet and make any small savings they have and borrow it at a very low rate to inject in their projects that helps them though in a small way to face the challenges of their special needs’ children.

Addedly, we also engage the women in financial literacy workshops as refresher courses to establish sustainability in their small businesses. Furthermore, they attend nutrition workshops to better aid them on feeding their children with disabilities well.

We feel happy to report that this program has created some impact however their credit and savings scheme needs a financial boost.

We extend brass band and cultural music skills to a good number of youths who go out to perform at functions (Church weddings, Graduation Parties, Sports events etc) for an income that they use to solve some of their basic needs.

3. HEALTH

 We can confidently say that this is one of our most touching programs. We came to realize that there was no Organization in the whole sub-county of 53 villages extending services like Physiotherapy clinics, Nutritional support, and offering any orthopedic appliances to children with disabilities thus we were forced to give a helping hand.

 It so happened that in 2016 we had an environment program of distributing 1000 fruit tree and agro forestry seedlings to communities in our area of operation thus we decided to go around villages registering the beneficiaries of the project.

What shocked us!!

As we were giving out tree seedlings, we came to observe some disabled children locked up in some homes their Parents claimed that misfortune had befallen their families.

We found it so difficult to convince the Parents especially mothers that their children needed special medication.

As Executive members, we decided to hold a meeting to discuss about this new urgent development. As you might be aware putting up a new Project without any funding available meant a risky venture.

Some members were so negative claiming that our financial capacity would cause a crisis.

Luckily, by then we used to host international volunteers who at times contributed a few dollars for the physiotherapist, food stuffs and a bit of medication for the identified disabled children.

We convinced the mothers to bring them to our centre for the physiotherapy exercises. As time rolled on the numbers started to raise, of course the flow of the international volunteers was not a steady one thus we used to now and then go without clinics.

In 2020 there was a Global crisis of Covid 19 thus the volunteers could not come to our country this affected our Physiotherapy exercises, and we also lost a few of these children unfortunately.

In 2021, we resumed the home visits, workshops, awareness campaigns about the love and care towards disabled children, through all this the numbers became a bit overwhelming in that we happened to be the only Organization in our Sub-county of 53 villages offering such services. By today our register has clocked 83 members / families.

Currently, we serve families from 8 villages namely,

a) Nakirama b) Kasenge c) Kazinga d) Buddo e) Katale f) Mugongo g) Mutundwe Kisigula

h) Kikajjo but of course with any added support we are willing to expand our services to the whole Sub-county of 53 villages.

CHALLENGES.

 Our Physiotherapy room is getting too small to accommodate the growing number of disabled children that attend our weekly Exercises.

 A good number of our special needs require Orthopedic appliances

 The majority of the mothers of our disabled children almost feed on 1 meal per day

 The living conditions of these mothers cannot be admired.

 The majority of these mothers run small individual businesses that need strengthening.

 The majority of the mothers cannot afford the medical bills of their disabled children.

ACHIEVEMENTS

 We feel over excited to report that through our physiotherapy clinics, we have managed to discharge 10 children who can now walk without the support of their mothers.

 A good number of people in our area of operation have come to realize that disability is not a curse.

 The majority of the mothers no longer feel ashamed of their disabled children.

 We can openly thank God that for now 8 years we can still wake up early on Thursdays (our Physiotherapy clinic day) go to the field and pick some mothers with their children to attend to the exercises (to and fro)

The director with some of the mothers of the Disabled children

Agriculture

 Some 10 years ago, we purchased 5 acres of land where we grow food stuffs to support the very needy families with the disabled children. (Passion fruits, sweet bananas(yellow type), sweet bananas prepared as food) cassava, vegetables etc) and some is used for income generation.

Am seen at our 5-acre garden.

Challenges;

• Maintaining the farm at times is so costly that is payment for the workers.

• Buying of farm inputs (Fertilizers, Fungicides and Insecticides)

• It’s also expensive to move to the garden now and then as its 90km from the Organisation coordination office.

Awards/Recognition

 In year 2020, our Non - Profit received an Award from Rotary Uganda in appreciation for our services towards disabled children.

 We were recently recognized by CORSU (comprehensive rehabilitation services in Uganda) hospital and received a certificate of appreciation