Reaching the poor: Almost out of poverty!

By Marion Akiteng, MS Uganda

Women are rated as the poorest in society world over. This also goes for the women in Budongo Women’s Association (BUWA) – one of MS Uganda’s partners.

Much as the Budongo women are poor, they have managed to come together to do activities that can change their situation. These activities include sensitisation on matters related to land.

This is of particular importance as land is an asset that has been denied the women. Knowing the importance and value of ownership and access to land has transformed them to become more informed people with a chance of changing their situation for the better and claiming their right.

The same goes for the adult literacy program – another of the BUWA-women’s activities. It involves reading and writing, which helps the women access information not available for them before. And it provides them an opportunity to put down in writing what they would wish to express.

BUWA also has a number of income generating activities. The bee-keeping project helps the women earn some money by selling the honey in the markets. A credit scheme enables the women to start some small-scale business. And the training in modern farming technology gives the members knowledge, skills and higher yields in their annual production. It may not make the women rich. But it all contributes to more sustainable resources and improved livelihoods for the women and their families. It keeps the hunger away.

In a report from BUWA, members are said to be grateful because their life style has changed. They now have sources of income and they can afford to have more comfortable living conditions in well-built houses and clean and organised homesteads.

The BUWA-women have accomplished this by working as a team. The members come together and go out to do something for one another – for instance when they go to the forest, cut down poles and afterwards put up a house.

Another example is when they are talking about family issues. It can be quarrels in the home, irresponsibility and any other issue that may be crucial for the well being of the family. They invite both the men and women together with local leaders and they discuss while using testimonies from successful families.

The BUWA women consider ignorance as a source of poverty. Therefore, they go ahead to sensitise other women within their communities on their rights and possibilities.

By doing all this, BUWA believes they will do away with poverty!