NEWSLETTER SPRING 2025
UNLOCKING POTENTIAL
Here’s a snapshot of some of the incredible work your support has made possible over the past few months.
BUILDING SAFER FUTURES IN MALAWI
It is important that our initiatives are accessible to the young people who can benefit from them most. With our partner in Malawi, MPC Nkhoma, we are supporting young people living without a parent or guardian to take on vocational training courses.
Since October 2024, 17 Child Headed Households have been developing new skills. For Madalitso, who lives with his four siblings and their grandmother who has a disability, a course in tailoring was the stepping stone he needed to start his own business, which earns him 7,000 Kwacha a day ($4).
Growing his business and saving his profits, he has been able to construct a new house for his family!
BOOSTING EARLY LEARNING IN UGANDA
Improving access to pre-schools takes more than just constructing classrooms. Through our Pre-School Program, we ensure that children are learning from well-equipped and welltrained teachers.
In northern Uganda, we currently support two pre-schools in the Omoro and Oyam districts, which are attended by around 100 children each year. Lessons are delivered by eight teachers who are pictured here during a recent training session organized by our partner ACET Gulu to ensure they are improving their skills and keeping up with best practices.
ENCOURAGING ENTREPRENEURS IN KENYA
Parents and guardians in Nairobi are harnessing their entrepreneurial skills to boost their incomes. Members of the Heroes VIP group - who we support with our partner, Undugu Society of Kenyaset aside 6,000 Shillings ($45) after their first year of saving and loaning to start a collective enterprise. Alongside their individual businesses, they invested in household essentials like wheat and maize which they then sold for a small profit.
The group are pictured here in January when they shared-out their profits. Their return? 30,000 Shillings, which is a four-fold return! Between them, the 20 members have 70 children, all of whom will see the many benefits of an improved household income.
STRENGTHENING EDUCATION IN TANZANIA
In January, our partner Fanisi Tanzania shared an incredible update on the progress of our initiatives in the Sengerema District, where we have been working together for the past three years. Across 10 primary schools, we are delighted to report that our initiatives have resulted in a huge 97% increase in the enrolment rate and a 96% decrease in the dropout rate.
This means that an additional 1,505 children have enrolled at primary schools who otherwise may have missed out on this crucial stage in their education. It also means that more children are remaining in school for longer which significantly boosts their learning performance. Read our latest blog to find out more!
DELIVERING OUR VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM IN UGANDA
GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
One in five young people in Sub-Saharan Africa are not engaged in any form of education, employment or training.
Driven by a lack of opportunity, this makes achieving a fulfilling livelihood and stable income extremely difficult and is trapping many in a cycle of poverty without the skills to lift themselves out.
Through our Vocational Training Program, we are investing in young people’s potential and helping them to access crucial opportunities to build a better future for themselves. With our partners, we support out-of-school teenagers to access courses in the likes of tailoring, mechanics, bricklaying and carpentry. We boost their employability and equip them with the tools to start their own enterprizes.
We currently support around 250 young people a year through the program
across Kenya, Malawi and Uganda. Pictured above are our latest cohort of students in northern Uganda - including Nancy who you can find out more about on the next page - who graduated from six-month training courses back in January. Alongside developing their practical understanding, they also took part in various workshops to build their entrepreneurial skills, covering topics from business and finance to marketing and planning.
After completing their courses, we supplied all graduates with equipment such as sewing machines and materials so that they can start their own businesses and begin to earn an income to support themselves and their families.
NANCY, A TAILORING GRADUATE IN OMORO, UGANDA
“ONE DAY I WANT TO OWN MY OWN SHOP”
Meet Nancy, who is 17 years old from the Omoro District in northern Uganda.
Nancy lives with her mother and her four younger siblings. Having dropped out of school during her second year of primary school when she was just seven years old, Nancy has been helping out at home and tending to the household farm ever since.
When she was identified to take part in a training course, she seized the opportunity. Graduating in January, she has already taken the next step and has started her own tailoring business making, repairing and selling items of clothing from a stall at a nearby shopping centre.
Harnessing her new skills, she is now earning around 15,000 Shillings on most days - equivalent to $4 - which is enough to meet her needs and support her family. She even funds school fees and learning materials for her younger siblings so they can all stay in school.
Nancy is now earning an income that lifts her and her family well above the $2.15-a-day extreme poverty line. This will significantly boost their standard of living, health and wellbeing, and give them greater financial stability so they can start planning for their futures.
