Greetings to you,

Happy New Month to you all. Yesterday was January and it’s already April, the fourth month of the year and it looks like we have hit the first quarter of the year. 

This week started on a good note when we set up Anna M with her cookie and snack baking project. I went down to Mukono to meet her and execute her project and I must say it all went according to plan. She got a whole bag of baking flour, margarine, electricity, cooking oil, a box of long-life milk and other spices. She was super excited about the project and she couldn’t wait to start. She is also currently taking care of her sick mum and it was such a relief to her and her family. Her mother personally came out of her house to extend her thanks to all of you who have supported Anna on this project. 

Francoise also got her pan fixed after three days of not working. The bottom of her pan blew out during her previous cooking and it put out all the fire. She called me to notify me of the incident and also her inability to mitigate the problem smoothly. The fixing was quite pricey so we pitched in to support the project. After looking at the repair, I asked her to find out the price of a new pan because it looks like it won’t be long before we get back to the same situation. She was grateful for the support and extended her thanks as always. 

Lilly A is doing okay. Still has her challenges with her landlord but has been able to utilize her opportunities before the landlord comes to the shop. These two parties have the same machines so it directly affects each of them but the landlord comes very late in the afternoon and usually, Lilly has already met her clients by this time. Otherwise, she is well and all three kids are in school and she has made quite some progress in payment. 

Hadija received a bouncing baby girl this last week via normal birth so it was a good thing. She gave birth at 11 am and by 4 pm she was at home. I didn’t even know she had given birth so when I found someone else at her spot, I called her and she told me she had just given birth. It was good to hear both mother and child were safe and healthy. Good enough she had one of her girls to take care of business in the meantime as she rested for a few days. I have encouraged them to always keep their business running regardless of whether they are there in person or not. These businesses tend to have very volatile customers. 

Hamida is also doing incredibly well at the moment. She has managed to raise the majority of her chickens, losing only a few. She has been able to manage the feeding this time but ran out of supplements so we supported her in the endeavour so she gets the best out of the birds at hand. 

Rovence N is doing great with her restaurant and catering service. The business has been slow on the restaurant side because of the extended fasting season. I got the opportunity to meet her and the women she employs every week. She empowers fellow women including mentoring her daughter to run the business too. We are glad to see that fellow women are supporting women. 

Rashida has been struggling with some health-related challenges over the last few weeks but she has recovered well. She has been lucky that her sister was in town so she helped attend to the stall during this time. I found her seated across the stall weaving a local mat which she often uses but sells them now and then. She usually weaves one mat every two months. It is good to know that some of our Mamas are exploiting the skills they have. She was happy to report that all three daughters are already in school. 

Aida is also facing a few shortcomings with her chips roadside stall due to the fasting season. Otherwise, she is pressing on and I found her splitting firewood to prepare her chips. This time she started a bit late because of the season so she also starts at the relevant times according to the demand. Otherwise, she is well and her daughter Angel is in school and they start exams next week. 

Pulakiseda is doing okay. Business at the market has been a bit slow for her and it has affected her stock in the shop. Otherwise, she will need a boost at some point to increase her supplies. The fridge is doing okay but the rain has interrupted it a bit because the rains have been falling a lot these past few days, therefore, affecting the cold beverage sector. It is one of the performing sectors in her grocery stall so anything affecting it causes concern. 

Lorna was attending a small village meeting but her daughter Catherine was attending the restaurant. Everything is getting better from the last time she was robbed during a fire that gutted one of the shops next to hers. The shop is looking better and the chapati business is back up and running so that is a bonus for her. She had fired the man who was previously working for her as he was deceitful and pocketing profits from sales and thus Lorna was making losses. 

Otherwise, the week went well but it was unfortunate that I couldn’t meet Florence and Margaret because Margaret had gone to attend a medical outreach in her village to help her get cheaper medical services. Florence and Irene had gone to attend traditional marriages in their respective villages. 

Thank you so much for your kindness and support to Anna, Francoise and the rest of the community. It is always a privilege to work alongside these wonderful people trying to make a difference in their lives and families too. 

Yours sincerely, 

Andrew Echel 

Director of Programs, Uganda

ISEE Solutions Society