P.O.BOX 663, , Mbiriizi, Lwengo Town Council Kampala – Mbarara highway, next to Tel: +256753310043 or 0775 55 3932 Email: [email protected], Web: www.ugandaempowers.org

A SUMMARY SERVICE REPORT – YEAR 2019

UGANDA EMPOWERS ORGANIZATION is a community based organization that runs prevention activities and provide care for people infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS mainly orphans, vulnerable children and women.

VISION:

Envisioning an HIV-free World where there no Stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.

GOAL:

To build a Community where people Infected or Affected by HIV/AIDS can have Positive Dreams about the Future.

OBJECTIVES:

. To fight the spread of HIV and supporting persons Infected or Affected by HIV/AIDS.

. To empower Orphans and other Vulnerable Children – OVCs.

. To develop Sustainable Livelihood

. To Conserve the Environment via promotion of renewable energy.

Thank you to our donors, partners, volunteers and friends locally and overseas for supporting us run Uganda Empowers’ core programs and projects, the achievements below wouldn’t be scored without your kind participation.

For the fact that we aren’t a government or big international funded charity, Uganda Empowers decided to create organizational sustainable income generating projects where we earn some funds to run charity work and at the same time provide basic services to the disadvantaged groups or individuals. PROJECT -1: A community school. Kyawagonya Community Nursery and Primary school is a project of Uganda Empowers where we enroll OVCs (Orphans and other Vulnerable Children) especially those infected with HIV/AIDS and whose parents died of AIDS or come from hardly poverty stricken families.

In this learning centre we take children from the age of 3years to 14years and we teach them our African traditions, history, religious education, science/health/sanitation, numbers/mathematics, social studies, reading/writing, English language, skills development, art/craft and etc.

School motto: “Education is a gift of hope”

Vision: “We dream of a society where no child is taken advantage because of ignorance.”

Mission: “Creating equal opportunities for vulnerable children to access comprehensive education rights so they can live a self reliant generation”

Achievements at Kyawagonya community school - 2019:

. Enrolled 142 new students (boys and girls)

Students assembling . Received donation to lay foundation/ground for the teachers’ house from Jael a science intern & volunteer from Switzerland.

Infront of the school management council, Jael doing a ground- breaking to lay foundation for the teacher’s house.

Construction of the foundation.

. We started construction of P.4 and P.5 classrooms, we are so grateful of the $500USD contribution Joachim. At his 60th birthday he chose to be given money instead of gifts by his family and friends so that he can send it to UE charity.

P.4 & 5 Classroom built to the beam level with contribution from Joachim.

School Plans for next year – 2020.

. We dream to complete the 1st step of building the p.4 & P.5 classroom block by Feb/2020 so that it is ready for students to use. . Uganda Empowers and the school management council also aim to finish construction of a safe toilet (washroom) for the students; this should be ready by Feb/2020. . It is still our great wish to finish the teachers’ house before end of year 2020. . We will enroll another number of learners. Challenges facing school operations.

. Long distances from home to school affects students attendance especially the infants, it also puts them at risk of motor accidents as some have to cross or walk along a busy-high-way. . Lack of teachers’ accommodation facility, this is affecting their potential be in class on time as they have to walk long distance no-matter the weather status. . Lack of teaching materials like textbooks, desks among others. . Lack of water for both drinking and wash at the school. . Not enough funds to hire and pay good quality qualified teachers. . The school also lack a consistent funder or partner to sponsor and finish any started projects. . Poor garden seasonal harvests affecting parent’s income to buy scholastic requirements for their children, this is delaying some learners to start school on time or even drop out.

Proposed solutions to the challenges above: . Regarding long distances affecting the children to walk to school, as we call for support to buy a school van, we paid a village lady to walk the little ones every morning and evening after lessons. . The teacher’s house is in our year resolution and we still call for more support. . Uganda Empowers is calling for individual and non-profit organizations for partnership and financial support to facilitate basic needs like water, washrooms, text books, buy a school van and etc. . During school staff meetings with the parents, Uganda Empowers encourage the parents to adopt modern farming skills like applying local fertilizers so that they can improve on the garden harvests to generate enough money to pay scholastic materials for their children. . We try to motivate the existing teachers and call for international volunteers to support the existing teaching team.

Sophia is a 1 year period volunteer from Germany, among other voluntary tasks at the clinic and in the field, she spare her time teaching German language at no pay. Big dreams: . Own a school van to ease movement of students. . Build 2 school hostels for boys and girls, this will provide accommodation to enable the far distant children to enjoy the quality and affordable education rights at Kyawagonya community school. . Build the P.6 and P.7 classrooms.

PROJECT -2: Solar Business. SOLAR NATURE is an income generating project of Uganda Empowers. This is to mean that whenever we make a solar sale, 30% of profits go to supporting Uganda Empowers’ charity work.

Vision For all people including those in the most remote areas, to have carbon-free, affordable, safe and reliable natural power.

Mission To offer affordable solar power systems that enable people to utilize the natural resource of the sun to provide them with energy for their homes and businesses saving them money.

Objectives for the project

 To generate income for the organization (Uganda Empowers) to continue charitable work.  To make sure that the beneficiaries save money by using solar rather than buying kerosene or other gas this is one way of alleviating poverty  To save the environment because solar is carbon-free

Target population

Anybody can access Solar Nature, however we target vulnerable communities, particularly those in the most remote areas, who would not be able to afford hydro electricity and often struggle to afford kerosene and gas.

Solar Nature technician installing a 2lights system on a grass roofed house. Need for solar services in the Lwengo community. Poverty is a major issue in rural areas, lots of people suffers from food insecurity, disease, lack of access to quality education, shelter, water and sanitation. This is worsened by high kerosene costs. By enabling people to own solar systems through a loan scheme, they no longer have to buy kerosene or gas and they eternally own the solar system once the loan has been paid off.

Achievements and programs supported with solar profits. 1. HEALTH:

 During this one year service period, Uganda Empowers organized multiple health sessions including free HIV counseling, testing, referral for antiretroviral therapy and follow-up of patients. This was only possible with profit funds from the solar project.

 We carried out different home visiting sessions to monitor and support treatment adherence, sanitation and general HIV positive living among people battling HIV/AIDS.

Home visiting session HIV Counseling & testing session

2. ECONOMIC STRENGTHENING: Donation of farm inputs: Agriculture being the main income generating activity for many local Ugandans, Solar Nature profits also benefit children from poor families and they got hoes or garden tools so they can use them during school holidays to boost household garden harvests for both domestic food and commercial food.

Village children posing with donated garden tools. Formation of VSLAs: At Uganda Empowers we believe in “supporting a man to learn how to fish than giving him a fish” and this is how we optioned to creating village saving and loaning associations (VSLA). With Solar Nature profits, we managed to create 2 successful groups benefiting 60 direct members from household poverty to an economic stable status.

One of the formed VSLA groups receiving book keeping guidance from a UE staff

EDUCATION SUPPORT:  Uganda Empowers identified, assessed and enrolled OVCs (orphans and other vulnerable children) who are critically in need and we sponsored them for education.

 As a result of solar generated profits, UE was able to contribute towards construction of a modern toilet for both girls and boys at Kyawagonya Community Nursery and Primary School.

Students of Kyawagonya Community Nursery and Primary School posing for a photo at a toilet (the toilet is still under construction). Main Challenge faced. . Uganda Empowers lack enough fund to invest in the solar business, this is affecting our ability to stock enough panels and it limits our sales and generating fewer profits. . Clients want to buy solar but they call for an extension of installment period from 6months to 12months. This is hard for Solar Nature because we need to collect the money sooner to order for other panels to maintain the supply.

Solar nature plans for next project year 2020

Planned activity Due date Location

Stock other solar materials (from generated profits) and soon Lwengo call for support from well-wishers Continue making sales promotions On-going Lwengo district & neighborhood

Process with construction of a school toilet On-going Kyawagonya community school

Monitoring activities supported on solar profits On-going Lwengo district

Contributing to finish a residential house for 7 orphans at On-going Kalisizo parish Kyenvunikidde village

Support construction of a classroom at Kyawagonya On-going Kyawagonya Parish community school

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS FROM SERVICE PARTNERS: Partnership being one of Uganda Empowers’ core value, we much treasure the cooperation we have reached with other aiding agencies:

1. RHSP

RHSP is a regional NGO established in 1987 in greater Masaka district where the HIV&AIDS epidemic started in Uganda in the 80s. This NGO sub-grants outstanding community based organizations to implement giving services to children victimized by HIV/AIDS. www.rhsp.org

Uganda Empowers got engaged with RHSP for a period of one year to comprehensively give service to HIV deprived children not only focusing on their immediate survival needs but also long term developmental needs such as life skills, vocational training, food security, Health and household economic strengthening. Pictorials of RHSP funded services:

RHSP supported UE to identify and refer orphans for free HIV counseling & screening.

Girls aged between 14 to 18years where supported to attain hairdressing and or tailoring skills, they were also given start-up tools to live a self-reliant livelihood.

Children from deprived families receiving free school materials. 2. Uganda Marathon

Uganda Marathon is a charity foundation that organizes annual race generating money to fund local groups whose objectives match with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Under SDG-7, Uganda Empowers won a renewable energy business booster grant and it was switched to the solar project. We haven’t only provided reliable and affordable power to remote families but generated income to fund charity work.

Students of Kyawagonya community nursery and primary school who are supported with solar profits. 3. ENVenture

Enventure is a clean energy promotion agency supporting community based organizations by giving out loans to start and maintain renewable power projects which aim of reaching carbon free energy to the end users. www.enventureenterprises.org

Uganda Empowers acquired a $3000usd loan at less interest, this is a booster fund that we invested into our solar project with a two way purpose of saving the environment and growing our sales to generate enough profits for charity work.

During project support supervision, Aneri the CEO at ENVenture meet the youth supported by UE to acquire motorbike mechanic skills.

A summarized table showing work done with solar profits.

Activity Item or service Description quantity

Annual School fees subsidy for orphans and vulnerable children 16 Pupils Education Contribution to build a 2classroom block at the community school 2 in 1 building

Contribution to construction of school toilet ie buying 8 stances constructional materials

Transport refund for nurses conducting free HIV testing 6 seasons Health Community mobilization for HIV counseling and testing 1 6seasons Economic Formation of new VSLA, provision of toolkits and booster grant 2 groups strengthening Provision of farm inputs 14 beneficiaries 4. Concerned friends of the Malayika foundation – Belgium

The Malayika foundation is a group of concerned friends that follow-up Uganda Empowers’ programs and gives a hand when we call for support. After learning that economic empowerment is the best way of transforming vulnerable people to steady livelihood, they funded formation of two Village Saving and Loaning Associations (VSLA).

In a group photo, Lwensinga Twezimbe VSLA members posing with their individual saving books (these are used to record and track everyone’s savings.)

Uganda Empowers is so thankful of The Malayika foundation for taking a stand to strengthen family economy of people from Nakyenyi/Lwensinga community by supporting VSLA programs.

Through a friend of Uganda Empowers “Marijke Sleeckx”, we received a donation of$1000usd from the Malayika foundation.This donation was allocated to create 2 Village Saving and Loaning Associations (VSLAs) in the Lwengo sub-county. One group was targeting vulnerable mothers that strangle to meet family primary needs; people affected by HIV/AIDS and other community members. The other group is targeting community youth that needs to grow their income and live a self-reliant future. 5. A call for urgent charity (building a safe home for OVC)

At some point when UE identifies an immediate need for help, we call everyone to give or support to rectify the situation and this can be done via facebook or community hands-on charity. In a related way, we landed on a child-headed home of 7 orphans living a very hard life. As poor children they got multiple survival needs but the crucial one is a safe and permanent house, kitchen and toilet, something that would mean a home to them.

In tears, the old girls says “this house links whenever it rains and it is shaking nearly falling down on us whenever it rains, we never sleep when it rains in the dark, we are at a big risk”

Uganda Empowers got concerned and asked everyone to give, by luck we got some contributions from well wishers and we built the house almost at 60%, however we still require more support to give a complete gift of a house to these needy little souls.

The children standing at their current house which is in a risky state.

On the right side is a house being built by concerned friend, Giving them hope for a safer home. General challenge affecting Uganda Empowers’ operations: . Lack of established and permanent funder to sponsor our programs. . Charity work demands much funds than the profits we earn from solar sales. This makes it difficult for the decision making team to choose which activity to allocate money to or it will leave the work half-done until we are able to save enough.

Uganda Empowers’ big dreams:

. Focus on economic strengthening of our beneficiaries . Welcome more partners, donors and volunteers from Uganda and overseas. . Have enough solar stock, open-up a branch in Kiruhura district, sell more, generate more profits and do more charity work. . Own a school van to give a ride to little Kyawagonya community school kids. . Finish P.4 and 5 classroom block. . Finish a school toilet. . Give accommodation house to teachers.

UE will meet these dreams through partnership, donations from both individuals and aiding agencies.

“Most people affected by AIDS are traumatized with the fear associated with going through long painful periods of illness, leaving behind other family members especially children with almost no support, facing stigma and frustration of not meeting their ambitions. Therefore, in any possible way every one of us should get concerned and contribute to the struggle to prevent HIV/AIDS and support victims of this fact of death.”

Acknowledgement: On behalf of Uganda Empowers management council, staff and on my own behalf, I do appreciate whoever have supported our services in anyway, the volunteers, donors and partners, we are so grateful.

Happy New Year - 2020.

Report Compiled by:

Matsiko Johnbosco - 0753310043 Executive Director.