Women Empowerment
“PROMOTING WEALTH CREATION AMONG WAR AFFECTED WOMEN IN UGANDA”
During the 23 years of war in Northern Uganda many young girls and women were abducted, forced to fight, became girl mothers, or simply had to drop out of school to help their families cope with the effects of the conflict. Our Micro-finance program provides war affected women with access to capital. We help women to become financially literate and provide support in business skills, entrepreneurship skills and basic record keeping.
We break the visor cycle of poverty among war affected young mothers through entrepreneurship skills training. Friends of Orphans increases economic opportunities and improve access to spaces of decision-making for war affected young mothers through entrepreneurship skills to fight poverty. We promote women’s labor and economic rights through revolving fund. This help them to generate their own income to support themselves and their children while contributing to the development of their own communities. It helps them become productive members and leaders in their communities.
We provide opportunities for long-term financial independence for war affected women who live in absolute poverty. Entrepreneurship skills training is key to breaking the visor cycle of poverty among women. We believe true transformation can only come through unlocking the vicious circle of poverty these women are trapped in.
The philosophy creates a society of self-empowered population who are able to address their challenges by themselves. This addresses the qualitative and quantitative needs of the women and their households. Friends of Orphans believe that solutions to poverty should restore dignity to impoverished individuals and move them into economic self-sufficiency so they may become leaders of change within their families and surrounding communities.
Increased gender equality and reduced domestic violent
The project is increasing gender equality and reducing gender based violence among the communities of Pader and Agago districts. This had a positive impact on the wellbeing of children and is reducing poverty.
Built Self-esteem and Confidence in the women
The project helps in building women’s self-esteem and confidence the women now feel more comfortable speaking in front of groups and sharing opinions.
Taking public leadership within their communities
In many developing countries, women rarely hold public leadership roles but with our women growing businesses, many of our women have taken up leadership roles in their communities. Many women identified and discovered their leadership skills and talents when they took up leadership roles in their lending groups.
Improved Health and Nutrition
Many war affected women trapped in extreme poverty don’t know where their next meal is coming from. War affected women being supported by Friends of Orphans have the financial means to feed their children meals higher in nutrition value.
Social network support
Through the different women groups being supported by Friends of Orphans the women have built social networks amongst themselves. This networks have created for these war affected women more support and greater opportunities to effect change in their communities.
