Income-Generation Activities

The Pittek ladies are most excited about their income-generation efforts. They are undertaking both group and individual efforts in this area. 

Group efforts - During 2008, group efforts were focused on improving the group’s tailoring skills. Wendy, a talented 70-year-old seamstress from Canada, helped the ladies for three months in early 2008 to advance their sewing skills. Then, the group received a special grant from a Norwell MA church to help buy two electric sewing machines and much needed tailoring supplies and equipment, including an initial deposit on their shop space, to continue to expand the group’s tailoring capabilities. 

In 2009, the group is continuing with its own internal tailoring classes which are being taught by the two best tailors in the group. The classes are expanding and this same church has provided additional tailoring monies for 2009. The group also hopes to expand its office/shop operations to include providing food. 

Beginning in 2008, the group further organized itself into committees such as the bead committee, tailoring committee and tie dyeing committee to further expand its efforts in these areas and to be able to efficiently provide more product to both Outreach Uganda and a couple of other marketing channels. Beginning in 2007, bead sales by Outreach Uganda in the U.S. began to provide significant group income to the Pittek group.

Micro-credit and revolving loans – The group continues to use micro-credit loans provided by a local micro-credit group. Pittek recently celebrated its 15th anniversary of receiving micro-credit loans with this agency and is proud that it has never defaulted on any member loan. The average loan interest rate is about 36% per annum and the repayment terms are short (two to four months but can be rolled over). Because of these limitations, the group is anxious to further expand its own internal revolving loan program which it began in March 2008 with funds provided by a supportive women’s group in the UK and also with funds provided by Outreach Uganda from individuals and churches in the Denver Colorado area. Pittek considers its first year of loaning money to members a great success and hopes to expand its own revolving loan activities in the upcoming years.

Individual efforts – Jobs are very scarce in Uganda, particularly for poor people with no connections. It is difficult for us in developed countries to understand the concept of “no work”. And what it means to sit on the curb of the main street with your sewing machine all day (all 12 hours of the day) hoping for a customer or two to use your services. That would be just enough to feed your family that day. So to survive, you must learn to create your own “work”. This gives the poor person a lot more potential than begging or being a “shop girl” in someone else ‘s retail shop or business (if you are lucky enough to find such work) for $1 per day.

Besides beading and tailoring, the women are involved in many varied businesses including operating local grocery kiosks in their neighborhoods, buying and selling in the market, selling moonfish at the Masese port, distilling, selling prepared food items, selling local beverages, selling cut grasses for thatched roofs and other uses, raising chickens for both meat and eggs. The women are very excited about the potential to start new businesses and expand their existing businesses through the profits made from the bead sales, and also through using funds from their own internal revolving loan fund. Some current desires of members include:

•  Starting a grocery kiosk

•  Buying a grinding machine to grind maize or peanuts

•  Buying their own sewing machine to make school uniforms

•  Selling posho or other food products

•  Restarting a poultry raising business

View photos of group and individual income-generation efforts.