Implementation Strategies
Access to Financial Services
Rural women are consistently looking for different avenues to access microloans to boost or start up their small businesses. A woman committed to work will do more and
multiply her efforts if she has access to essential tools for effectiveness and productivity. Capital, financial literacy, Business skills training, and business information are tools that GLOW is endeavoring to make accessible to rural women. This strategy design focuses on helping women access interest-free loans or low-interest loans, essential business tools, and farm equipment. Over 200 women have benefited from our microloans scheme, while all
members have received a farming tool, basic business administration skills, and financial literacy. Our goal is to raise $20,000 in order to increase our capacity to lend. Currently, we have $7000 available for loans which limits our capacity to meet the demand for GLOW Loans.
Social Groups and Mentorship
GLOW Uganda to date has 12 groups of 30 women spread over Kabale and Rubanda districts. When women find themselves in a supportive group of like minds in their community and are encouraged to fellowship and pray together, defend and support one another, and have open
discussions about the challenges they are facing with a system of accountability and responsibility among members leads to personal and group growth.
We have reported on reduced domestic violence because the community respected GLOW women. As a Christian faith-based organization, discipleship, Christian counseling, and guidance cut across all our activities. One of the primary things GLOW has done consistently in the development of rural women through mentorship is to provide weekly group devotions, quarterly group and individual counseling sessions, leadership workshops, and an annual general revival conference. We started with a one-day conference in 2019 and when we saw the positive impact it had on the women we raised our faith to have a 3-day conference in 2020 and held another in 2021, it’s amazing how despite the lockdown the last two conferences were able to be held. In the future, we plan to hold conferences where GLOW husbands will be included. This strategy design creates platforms for members to be mentored in different aspects of life
in small groups. The goal is to empower women to be confident, powerful, and resourceful women of Faith so that they can live up to their true potential to transform a community, lead, trade, and advocate for justice.
Vocational Skills and Businesses Training
Rural women are looking for different ways to be empowered through hands-on skills,entrepreneurship, and micro business expansions. GLOW designed this strategy with projects andactivities to help rural women and girls gain direct vocational skills training and business ideaexpansion opportunities.
In September 2020 The GLOW Kigezi Girls Skills Center was opened to mentor and equipvulnerable girls aged 13 to 18 with vocational skills alongside Elementary level English, Math,computer skills and other activities to aid mindset change. We currently have 49 girls at the center, actual cost of maintaining a girl at the center for a term if UGX 540,000 (USD 149) We carried out a drive to sponsor a girl at USD100 anticipating that the parents and caregivers would be able to raise USD49 in cash or in kind in 3 months however it is a struggle. The girls dropped out of school in the first place for lack of school fees. I talked to some mothers who had reservations about sending their daughters to the center only to discover that they wanted to protect their daughters from the humiliation of being sent back home again for failure to meet school requirements. The purpose of the center is to help such girls who are totally helpless for some we
have had to provide everything from beddings to sanitary pads.
Thankful response to our sponsor a girl has received positive response raising sponsorship for 27girls of the 49 girls. I am confident that every girl at the center has been chosen by God for a purpose and this gives me hope that he will provide for them. Our vision is to build a center that can accommodate up to 200 girls annually. Our goal next year is to build a storied dormitory building to increase our capacity to
accommodate 100 girls by our next intake in May 2023. The new building is estimated to cost
$75,000. For women who are already committed to marriage or are unable to attend school GLOW
provides them with the basic tools to start, operate, build and expand their income generating
activities through our microloan scheme and business training workshops. We are also planning
to hold some adult education lessons in literacy and math for the women. Over the years, rural women have committed themselves to farming, trades but today they are eagerly looking for ways to enhance their daily living activities and to become more efficient in all sectors within their community. This was evident at our last business training when leaders were asked to come up with business ideas and make business plans, their business proposals were largely about cottage industry and trading at wholesale level in produce and not just farming. We are designing a development program that focuses on providing core skills programs that can help them access markets to sell their products; understand the value chain of their industry, achieve food security goals and basic of micro business management and operations and access to low interest loans.
Health Promotion
Women are primarily vulnerable to every form of health issue in different communities. They
face all forms of health challenges and in addition, the responsibility of caregiving for the sick
lies entirely on them. During a health camp in 2018 more than half of the GLOW women whose
blood pressure was checked were either borderline or stage one and some two of hypertension
which the doctors on further investigation attributed to stress. This strategy is designed with
projects that focus on providing prevention information, training on healthy living, getting and
taking clean water, keeping a clean and green environment, and maternal care.
An average rural woman faces the threat of maternal death. In this strategy, we have included
construction of a maternity waiting center worth $30,000 to manage the 3 WHO delays related
to maternal mortality
Regarding water and sanitation, am pleased to report that to date 148 families have benefited
from our safe and accessible water project where a family is given a 2000ltr rainwater
harvesting tank. Water is a basic need, 90% of the GLOW women live up in the hills which
makes fetching water down in the valley very stressful and time-consuming. Our goal is to raise
$20,000 to set up 100 more 2000-liter rain water harvesting tanks for members who are still
struggling to access safe water.
Seven families have benefited from our home improvement initiative. 99% of all GLOW women
live in mud houses. On our home visits, we realized that most of their houses were dilapidated
and some were on the verge of collapsing. GLOW provides 70% of the total cost to improve or rebuild
the house, while the member and community cover 30%. We have 30 homes that are in urgent
need of support to renovate or put up new houses, GLOW total budget for a new home is
estimated at $3000 of which GLOW committed to raising 70% ($2100) per house.
We have been conducting one medical and dental outreach annually however we have planned
for 2 outreaches in July and December this year.
Information sharing
Ignorance is a leading cause of suffering and injustice. Under this strategy we partner with
professionals to share basic information on legal laws and rights, health, faith, business and other
life options and opportunities.
We are moving forward, one step at a time, one day at a time from relief to transformation and
production. We give all the GLORY TO JESUS.
Thank you for your support