Income Generation

Outreach Uganda’s mission is to help empower our beader group members to improve all aspects of their lives so that they can overcome poverty. Sustainable income-generation projects are a key focus of these efforts. Our beaders are encouraged to save up money from their bead sales so they can use these monies to start group or individual businesses which they can do all year long. Micro-credit loans from their group’s internal revolving loan fund provides additional help for the ladies to either start businesses or further expand their existing businesses to a level that will help them rise above poverty.

Both our Pittek and Rwot-tek groups are very excited about their income-generation efforts. Both groups are undertaking group as well as individual projects initially using monies they have earned from their beading activities. The Pittek group has group poultry and produce projects and individual beaders have many diverse businesses such as local neighborhood grocery kiosks, individual poultry businesses, selling posho and other food items, sewing school uniforms, and selling dried moon fish. Our Rwot-tek group has group goat and piggery projects.

Our newest group in Agwata is just beginning to acquire some group chickens and goats. Because Agwata is a rural village, and the beaders are living on their ancestral lands, their group and individual income-generation activities will be focusing more on agricultural-related endeavors such as beekeeping and tilling additional acreage so that they can grow cash crops over and above providing food for their families.

Jobs are very scarce in Uganda, particularly for poor people with no connections and little or no formal education. 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 in your town 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 money to feed your family that day. So to survive and have any chance at escaping poverty, 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. Donate now to help one of our beaders open or expand her business.