Young Mother’s and Women’s Empowerment Programs
The Problem
Biting poverty coupled with high unemployment rates in the countryside have led to a constant drift of people from rural areas to urban centers within Uganda. These movements put a strain on social services, employment, and housing which cannot match the numbers of people moving in. This leads to more people stuck living on the streets.
To date, our interventions have been limited to addressing issues for people after they find themselves on the streets. Though psychosocial counseling, direct food provisions, housing, and medical care for the sick and the injured from ourselves and other NGOs we have seen significant impacts on our beneficiaries’ well-being in the short-term.
The biggest challenge however is ensuring that these successes continue in the long-term by addressing housing, family, and employment issues within Uganda at the source. Often a child may have been well rehabilitated though our outreach programs but continues to face challenges at the time of resettlement or simply chooses to return to street life. Because of these bigger picture issues, we often see rehabilitated children back in our programs.
To further complicate the issues, unemployment levels are soaring and 69% of the total population is below 25 years old. Teenage pregnancies account for 25% of births within Uganda and the plight of these youth and their children cannot be over emphasized.
The number of teen and single mothers exposed to abuse and stressful conditions is on the rise. With high food prices, limited or no disposable income, and the added responsibility of fending for one or more children, many young mothers find themselves in dire situations. They too often end up on the streets and many are tempted to trade sex for money.
Efforts need to be made to address these issues at the source by supporting these young and single mothers with housing, education, and income generation projects.
Project Goals
Fifty single mothers resettled in fifty new housing units as their permanent homes
Fifty single mothers trained in income generation activities/business planning, financial literacy, nutrition, parenting skills, hygiene and sanitation lessons learnt in collective marketing are documented and disseminated to stake holders
Fifty single mothers supported with capital to run an enterprise of their choice
Parish farmer marketing associations facilitated to operate efficiently
Proposed Intervention
PCA is working to create stable livelihoods for single mothers through the provision of homes and starter capital for income generation activities for mothers around Kampala and Wakiso districts. This project will build on the work already done by PCA by providing a real home environment along with skills training and capital for income generation.
Resolving the problems of shelter and income for these young and single mothers will go a long way in not only steading their capacity to plan and provide for their households, but also to create a real renewable income generation base and a stable home for their children. It will also lead to less runaways lading on the streets and an increased number of children willing to remain at home after resettlement.
This project in the Kampala and Wakiso districts will be the first of its kind in Uganda.
This project will train these single mothers in income generation activities, business planning, financial literacy, basic nutrition, parenting skills, hygiene, and sanitation which will provide them with a better opportunity to provide for their families. They will be supported in nutritional requirements, food, clothing and bedding, medical care, setting and managing family sizes, education, and setting aside funds for future investments.
Along with these services our team will be monitoring and support their long-term success. Business mentors shall be sought, recruited, and assigned to each mother to increase their chances of business survival and success.
Intended Outcomes
Fifty households living in better housing with enough space for all members
Fifty stable households reflected through good health, home environment (acceptable nutrition, hygiene and sanitation behaviors)
An increase in the number of single mothers owning and running profitable enterprises
Better planning decisions exhibited through successful enterprises and others
Project Steps
Locating, fundraising, and buying land parcels on which to build these housing units
Identifying and recruiting local firms for construction of housing units
Resettling the prepared single mothers’ households in these housing units
Training single mothers’ households in income generation activities and business planning (taking into account individual preferences/ skills set and business- location fit), financial literacy, nutrition, hygiene and sanitation as well as parenting skills
Working with each young mother to help bring their products to market
