WOW
works with 65 widows in Arua, Northern Uganda, providing them with sustainable
income generation opportunities. Training is given in permagardening, and each
woman has her own permagarden to generate income. The women are also trained in
microbusinesses with the aim of achieving self-sustainability. WOW owns 20
acres of agricultural land, where crops are grown to support the project, and to
provide food and fresh water for the widows. WOW has also built a maize mill
which generates income for the project.
WOW is
currently planting a forest, which when mature, will fully support the project.
We aim to plant 10,000 trees, and to maintain the forest at this level,
benefitting both the environment and the local community. For more
information about the WOW forest, click here.
Malaria
is a high risk in this area, so mosquito nets and health checks are provided
regularly.
WOW
aims to change the lives and prospects of widows in this area of rural Uganda,
as of many of them are illiterate, unaware of their rights, and vulnerable to
exploitation. When their husbands die, they lose the rights to their property
and are forced to return to their villages with their children, often with no
means of income. The widows often live with shame, rejection, and very little
hope for their future and the future of their children. Whilst education is
free in Uganda, these widows are unable to pay for their children’s exam fees,
books, and uniforms. Many girls do not finish school and are, therefore, unable
to access employment opportunities and break the cycle of poverty for their
family and future generations. WOW wants these women and girls to experience
freedom and joy, and to create a thriving community of self-sufficient families.
These
women are loved and cared for, and they can know that they are women of worth.
