pearl of africa
The north and east are the poorest regions in Uganda, with little investment over the past three decades since the civil war ended in the 1970s. Poverty in the area has been exacerbated further, as thousands flee from an ongoing conflict with the in the north of the country. This has led to thousands of poor families heading towards the towns of Soroti and Kumi, the outskirts of which have now developed into sprawling slums. About 64,000 people live in desperately overcrowded conditions, and disease, particularly through contaminated water supplies, and other waterborne diseases is widespread. This project will improve the lives of the people living in this slum, by tackling the issues in several distinct ways. Firstly, training in democratic processes will be provided to individuals, which in turn will help set up stronger community associations and groups within the slum. Secondly, project workers will support and mentor the new associations to create 2 new health centres, a nursery, as well as build new boreholes and drainage systems for cleaner water and better sanitation. Thirdly, part of the grant will be used to set up a small banking scheme, based on a tried and tested model, with the Centenary Rural Development Bank, a Catholic church-backed rural development bank. This will allow small affordable loans to be provided to help people improve their homes, buy land, and start small businesses.
