Charity’s plea for support to help women in Uganda

Act4Africa, which is based in Chichester, is trying to raise £550 to support women in Mayuge, Uganda, through the ‘She Leads’ programme.

The charity helps to transform the lives of women and girls in Uganda by giving them vocational training, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship support.

The ‘She Leads’ programme gives women the resources to grow independently and sustainably.

It provides startup capital, mentorship, and peer networks to help their businesses flourish.

Act4Africa also offers pre-school childcare at Kathy’s Centre, the charity’s home base, helping both mothers and their children on their path to stability and success.

Act4Africa’s Ugandan Team. (Image: Act4Africa) Women in Uganda face many difficulties with six per cent of girls aged 12 to 17 having already given birth, often left to raise their children alone.

Only 15 per cent of women complete secondary education, leaving many struggling to secure employment.

Even those who do find work face significant hardships, with 86 per cent of women reporting physical or verbal abuse in the workplace.

These harsh realities highlight the urgent need for intervention and support.

Due to a lack of funding, Act4Africa has been forced to halve the number of women it supports each year.

‘She Leads’ meeting. (Image: Act4Africa) Just £550 would allow five more women to take part in a 10-week vocational training programme, equipping them with skills in hairdressing, sewing, or tailoring, alongside business management training.

Upon completion, each woman receives a business starter kit, providing the essential tools needed to launch their own ventures.

The charity has said that women such as Selima have benefited from this programme.

Selima playing with her daughter. (Image: Act4Africa) Selima was married at 15 and a mother of two by 21.

She faced unimaginable hardship when her husband lost his job during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Struggling to afford food and water, she even considered giving her children away.

In 2021, Selima joined Act4Africa’s Strong Mothers Programme, determined to change her future.

She lacked financial capital but utilised social connections, partnering with a neighbour to sell clothes.

Gradually, she saved enough to rebuild her life.

Today, she financially supports her family and dreams of opening a salon and boutique.

Selima said: “Act4Africa encourages us to believe in ourselves, and my husband now sees that I, too, can contribute to my family.”

Jane and her child. (Image: Act4Africa) Another woman who was helped by the charity is Jane, who was forced into marriage at 14 and became a mother at 15.

Enduring years of abuse, she fled back to her hometown of Mayuge, seeking refuge at Act4Africa.

Kathy’s Centre provided her with a safe space to rebuild her life.

Through the Strong Mothers Programme, she found strength, support groups, and counselling, which changed her outlook and gave her hope.

Emerging from years of struggle, Jane gained the confidence to pursue a career in fashion and design.

The charity has said that she is now a “symbol of resilience and determination, creating a brighter future for herself and her child”.

Act4Africa’s work is only possible with the generosity of supporters.

By donating just £550, five more women can receive the training and resources they need to build sustainable livelihoods.

To contribute or learn more about Act4Africa’s impact, visit their website.