Who are you trying to help? What issue are you trying to address?

This project will target vulnerable women, particularly widows and those living with HIV/AIDS, orphans, and grandmothers caring for vulnerable children through providing training for economic opportunities.

In Mukono, women bear almost all responsibility for meeting basic needs of the family, yet are systematically denied the resources, information and freedom of action they need to fulfill this responsibility. The vast majority of the poor in Mukono are women. Two-thirds of the illiterates are female. Of the millions of school age children not in school, the majority are girls. And today, HIV/AIDS is rapidly becoming a woman’s disease. Providing job opportunities could change these trends.

What is your project and how will it help?

The objective is to train vulnerable women, particularly widows and those living with HIV/AIDS, as well as vulnerable children, youth, and the elderly who have the relatively little to no income and equip them with:

• knowledge and skills to implement an income generating activity,
• business entrepreneurship training to run a micro enterprise,
• the understanding of the workings of micro finance

The 5-day Training Workshop is designed to instruct participants in the knowledge and skills vital to running a micro enterprise while educating participants about running four specific types of IGAs (income generating activities): mushroom growing, vegetable growing (maize and bananas), chicken rearing, and piggery.

Potential Long Term Impact: This project will enable 200 women to engage in income-generating activities. The ability to increase their income and invest in their families and communities will then help to improve their families’ health and well-being. The workshop will also include sessions on hygiene and sanitation, using environmentally-friendly techniques, record keeping, and micro-finance. Additionally, one and a half days of the workshop will be spent at EACO’s demonstration sites where participants will view actual examples of how each of the IGAs should look and function.

Building upon the training workshop, beginning in the second month of the project, EACO trainers will conduct 14 home visits with each client: two visits per month during months two, three and four and one visit per month during the subsequent eight months.

As described above, during the first visit EACO will assess which IGA fits the participant best. Once this is determined, subsequent visits will include instruction and guidance in implementing the IGA and assistance in opening a bank account, forming a micro-finance group, and accessing micro-loans to expand the micro enterprise. As part of the proposed project, EACO will mobilize these groups among participants with the same IGA who live in close proximity to one another. In addition to guidance and instruction, each participant will receive $250 in-kind start-up supplies needed to successfully implement the IGA. These supplies vary by each of the four IGAs.

How can other people partner with you on your project?

We happily accept donations or gifts in-kind.

Please detail the resources that you need.

Total Funding Goal: $50,000

· $10 Will buy 23kgs of maize seeds for use in the garden.

· $25 Can provide 20 gardening hoes to be used in gardens that add fresh organic

· $50 Will provide 5 cotton bags to be used in the growing of mass rooms

· $90 Will buy two piglets to start a firm in one home to work as an income generating project

· $100 Will provide 20 chicken to one family to work as an income generating project

· $200 will help to put up a one work shop on marketing, record keeping ad other topics related on entrepreneurship,