If you attended the Deck the Halls event on the 28th, first of all, a HUGE thank you for making the event an amazing success. We cannot do what we do without your generous participation in our fundraising efforts. Webale Nnyo.

At the event, I shared a story about Jenefer, the lady wanting to sell fresh vegetables. She was a “second” wife and contracted HIV from her husband. When he died, she found herself alone with two children. Her daughter had HIV but her son did not. Her daughter later passed away from AIDS after delivering a daughter so now Jenefer is raising her son and grand-daughter.

Jenefer was working as a washerwoman, taking laundry from university students early in the morning. She wanted to do something different in order to be able to be home in the morning when her children go to school. She really wants them to complete their schooling.

Selling produce was something she felt she could easily do if she had some initial investment to buy the first sacks of matooke and potatoes. We were all ready to start funding this project when her brother was attacked with a machete by thieves who wanted his motorcycle taxi so her funds that she had saved were spent on medical bills. She was set to go a second time but her cousin died and so she was tied up with funeral arrangements with her uncle.

Now we are ready to go again! Thanks to a generous donation at the event on the 28th, we can actually offer Jenefer a bit more than before. She is now looking for a proper spot to sell her vegetables where we can erect a stand to hold the vegetables so that they are not on the ground as well as a box to store the produce to keep it safe overnight. We are happy to see that there is progress being made toward getting Jenefer set up before the start of the new year with an even better opportunity than we were offering before.

Jennifer, our mama from 2014 who invited us to her wedding, had a beautiful ceremony on December 8th. Andrew attended on our behalf and sent photos of her day. He says that she is so happy and so grateful for all the opportunities she has had since 2014 when we initially invested in her business. She joked that she never thought that investment in her business would eventually bring her a husband too!! We wish her every happiness.

You may remember Angel who was an applicant for our summer 2018 group. As she came for her initial interview with us to invest in her shop, faulty electrical wiring caused a fire inside her shop and burned all her stock. She has been slowly restocking her shelves but we would like to help her rebuild so that she can continue to grow her business.

This is the list of items she has requested which totals 838,000 Ugandan shillings, This is about $300.

We received a donation specifically for Angel but are looking for other donors who would like to help Angel rebuild and support her family. Please consider donating toward her shop and spread some Christmas cheer toward her! You can donate through the Paypal button on the right and leave a message to say that the money is for Angel’s store.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the coming year. Thank you again for all your support this year. We are excited for what the new year will bring!

In friendship,

Erika