These six women signed their Mama Nguvu contract today and received their sewing machines and salon materials.

The selection of Mamas and the purchase of items began today for the 2015 candidates. They are very excited to have been sponsored or are now eagerly awaiting “the call” to say that they have been selected. We are hoping to sponsor all these women so we are still looking for funding to cover the sponsorship of all of this year’s candidates. Please support one of these women and change her life and the life of her children!

You can sponsor a Mama fully or contribute toward the sponsorship of a Mama. You can use Paypal or send a cheque to the address below but please email me and let me know who you have sponsored so that I can let the Mama know who has sponsored her as well.

You only have a week! Hurry! Hurry! Webale Nyo!

 

Irene Juliet Kasiri – 31 years old – Poultry Farming

Irene Juliet has a piece of land with a hen house already on it but wants to add 400 more layers to increase her business. She has experience raising chickens as she was trained by another woman for whom she was working. She has 4 children under the age of 14.

Amount needed to sponsor this Mama: $450.00 for 400 layers

 

Florence Nakalema – 48 years old – Restaurant

Florence currently has a small shop where she sells fresh fruits and veggies. She has experience cooking but never has enough capital to purchase the items needed to get a restaurant business going. She has five children but is caring for three at home. Florence is HIV positive and is struggling to work and keep herself healthy. She is the woman representative vice-chairman of the community so that if there are cases of domestic abuse, violence or vulnerable children, she is the one the women speak to and she works with the police. She has been doing this for 15 years so the community knows her well and she feels this will be very beneficial for her business.

Amount needed to sponsor this Mama: $300 for plates, saucepans, cups, flasks, kettles and a small fridge

 

Betty Adok – 45 years old – Ground-Nut Machine (like peanut butter)

Betty is from Gulu and her husband still lives there where he works as a casual labourer and farmer of a small plot of land. Betty carries fruits on her head to sell. She comes across as a very hard working woman who is very proud of her children and their accomplishments. Through her fruit sales, she is putting three children through school and feeding them. The KCCA keeps chasing the fruit sellers so she is hoping to set up the g-nut machine as a permanent business where she is safe from harassment. Betty is illiterate and speaks very little English. She is full of vim and vigour!

Amount needed to sponsor this Mama: $200 for the machine

 

Aidan Kasubo – 32 years old – Restaurant

Aidan is a single mother of five children under the age of 14. She currently has a small business with a frying pan, flask and charcoal stove (sigiri) where she makes snacks to sell. She wants to add to her business to be able to make more money so that she can continue to send her children to school but also find a new location as the KCCA is planning to demolish the strip of shops where she is.

Amount needed to sponsor this Mama: $175.00 for 12 chairs, plates, cooking stoves, frying pans, cutlery, jerry cans, saucepans

 

Edith Mayende – 38 years old – Popcorn

Edith is a single mother of 3 children aged 15, 8 and 5. All currently attend the same primary school. Edith makes samosas and cassava chips from her home and provides them for a local school. Any extra she makes is sold in the community from her home. She wants to add a popcorn machine as she has the client base that will purchase it through the schools and in the neighbourhood. She tried making popcorn using a saucepan but found the process too slow for too little of a return. She said, “When you want to get something, you must work so that you do not fail to get it.” This was in response to me asking if she would get a table for the popcorn machine as she had originally thought it had a stand.

Amount needed to sponsor this Mama: $250 for the machine, 100kg of kernels and 20 liters of oil

 

Semmy Salume – 29 years old – Popcorn

Semmy is married and has 7 children between the ages of 15 and 2. Only two of her children are currently in school. She wants to do popcorn because it is easy to manage, it works with her time schedule and it is something the population likes to eat. She knows it will add money to the family finances on a daily basis. She will make the popcorn from home to begin and display it at the shop in front of her house then hopes to find a place to rent to have her own shop. She has experience making and selling popcorn from when she lived in the village.

Amount needed to sponsor this Mama: $250 for the machine, 100kg of kernels and 20 liters of oil

 

Fadhila Kabajungu – 30 years old – Photocopy and Computer Services

Fadhila is a single mother of 6 children and the youngest is nearly two. Only one child is in school. She used to run the same business but when the power system was changed, she and her brother could not continue to afford the electricity. She switched to selling used clothes from the shop so that they would not lose the location in the hopes of restarting the printing business again. Her brother is trained in ICT.  He understands that this business will belong to her. The fees for power have changed again so now it will be affordable to run this business. She has good business sense and knows how to market her products. She says the community already knows her and her previous business and is waiting for her to set up shop once more.

Amount to sponsor this Mama: $450 for a printer, used computer, card reader, strong table, chairs, and duplicating papers