Meet Betty – she’s the Income Generating Activities (IGA) co-ordinator for Child of Hope and her role is to help mums succeed in the businesses we help them start.

As the co-ordinator she goes out to the Namatala slum to visit the mothers who are involved in businesses which have been set up with a grant from CoH. This has enabled her to make many friends in the community and to learn about the mothers and their various and many needs. She is well-known in the community, being a bridge between the mothers and CoH.

And actually, being employed means that she is able to pay her own rent and feed and clothe her family, for which she is very grateful!

Betty originally started working in the CoH Nursery and now in her current role loves to help the mothers achieve their goals. The IGA scheme is very impressive as it helps to raise families out of poverty to provide basic needs for their families. Lives are being transformed and the changes are making the mothers and their families feel happy and secure as they look to the future.

When people would like a business start-up and grant, a full profile is taken and they are assessed as to whether they may be given a full or part grant to start their business. The business training scheme operates one day per week for four weeks to help the mums acquire new skills to enable them to succeed.

There are many kinds of businesses which the mothers are involved in. Probably the most popular is running a shop (really a stall by the road or in the market). There they can sell vegetables, rice, bananas and many other everyday essentials. Some are more inventive, selling charcoal for fuel, or selling meat by visiting door-to-door in the evening when it is cooler. As well as all these projects there are ‘restaurants’, salon and barber shop and tailoring.

Would you like to donate a £25 start-up grant to a slum mum?… click here for details.


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