In the ghettos of Kampala and deep in the remote areas of Kiboga, Nakasongola, Luwero, Mubende, Buikwe, Masaka among many districts in Uganda, Young mothers between the ages of 13 and 24 live miserable lives. They suffer social challenges like discrimination, abuse and stigmatization. They also live in extreme poverty struggling to meet their essential needs. Many of these girls escaped from marriages they were forced into fleeing from the physical, emotional and psychological abuse they were subjected to. Others are victims of rape through which they got unplanned pregnancies. They also include girls that were banished and ostracized from their communities for getting pregnant before marriage. Regardless of how they got into their sad situations, they deserve a chance at life. To live without worry of where they will get food, shelter, education and medicine for their children and themselves as well.
Besides providing therapy to heal them of their traumas, psychological and emotional abuse, Purposed Hope Foundation runs campaigns and projects to economically empower these young mothers. The Purpose for this empowerment is to make them self-reliant and enable them to be able to earn a living to take care of themselves and their children. We economically empower these young mothers through training them to acquire skills they can monetize to earn a living. We train them farming, baking, crocheting, tailoring, cooking, computer skills, manufacturing (soap, sanitary pads and skin oils), among other skills.
After training them, we provide them with start up capital in form of raw materials which they use to put to use their newly acquired skills. The products they make, are then sold in community markets in their home areas. This has not only earned them a living, but has also made them useful members of the communities that once rejected them. For this, they have gained more self-esteem, self-belief and self confidence in themselves. Some of them have been accepted back into their families.
In the communities we have been able to extend our outreach projects, many girls now live better lives. They are very well settled in their communities. Having healed from their traumas, they now have hope for their lives and those of their children. We recruited them to these trainings and many of them were able to acquire these skills. The young mothers have since then gone on to afford rent for their shelters, food, education and medication for their children, among other basic needs. Those that dropped out of school, have been able to go back to adult learning centers to empower themselves more.
Our mission is to see all young mothers in these communities have a life after their abuse, early pregnancies and forced marriages. We may not be able to stop the problems of early marriage, rape, gender based violence and forced marriages in young girls, but we believe we can be a solution to the victims of these evil practices in these communities. Every day we get new search cases and are tasked to act and give a hand to the victims. Its an endless humane act of faith and kindness we love to do. Join us to be an answer to the prayers of these young mothers. You can volunteer or donate to this cause. We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
