Covid-19 Relief Support Through Food Donation and Other Essentials by AYWD
Trish Robichaud

We had meetings with the AYWD women and children and our cherished visitor, Ruth from Canada. We all enjoyed the day and got many requests for help from these women and children. Any amount anyone can donate to the community will be a blessing to these mothers and their fatherless children. 

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Ruth speaking to AYWD women and children, Henry on one side of her, a sleeping dog on the other side

group of AYWD women and children sitting on the ground

AYWD IT man, Enoch, talking to group of women and children

AYWD Members Meet Ruth from Canada for the First Time
Trish Robichaud

AYWD took women to the Agricultural Resource Center in Kyanja, headed by Director and Founder, Henry Muwayire and his team. The event was made possible with the help of a well wisher called Ruth from Canada, who funded the whole humanitarian work. The women learned alot about modern agriculture and poultry as well as animal keeping like pigs. We are looking forward to a well wisher who would like to fund the availability of seeds and chick’s as well as piglets for these women to build a livelihood.

Agricultural farm start-up cost per family = $566CA

Poultry farm start-up cost per family = $442CA

Piggery farm start-up cost per family = $602CA

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AYWD women with Ruth in front of vegetable gardens

AYWD women with Henry in front of Kyanja Agricultural Resource Center sign

AYWD women standing around a pen where a man is doing a demonstration with cones

AYWD women and Ruth looking over the produce in the gardens

Henry standing in front of the Kyahja Agricultural Resource Center sign with a staff person

A pig in it’s pen at the Kyahja Agricultural Resource Center

Learning at the Agricultural Resource Center in Kyanja
Trish Robichaud

My names are Nakalema Harriet a widow with five children (three boys and two girls). My dream is to see all my children acquire an average education so that they can fit in the current society without so many challenges.

My first born is 15 years studying in a public school in senior three. It has been a nightmare getting Joshua to this level because his missed an academic year due to lack of school fees and would have completed his senior four my now. We have only come this far due to his talent in football. The headmaster offered him a half bursary for the school fees due to his high performance for the school football team. I only pray his performance doesn’t decline to allow him complete senior four.

My second born are identical twins, 12 years of age and have currently completed their primary leaving examinations. I thank my brother and mother for supporting me financially and morally with them; otherwise they wouldn’t have made it this far for their school fees and upkeep.

My third and last set of children are twins also, they are boys 9 years of age and attending primary three. I do not know whether they will make it in life, because since birth they were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and have been admitted and even referred numerous times to a number of hospitals. Am also on ARVs and have been advised not strain or stress myself.

I thank my late husband who left us a house and two acres of land. The women in the community taught me how to grow vegetables. This has been my major source of income throughout the year. The vegetables I grow include: sukuma wiki, eggplants, greens and lettuce.

This week I am optimistic that I will clear Joshua’s meal fees at school plus the boda boda debt for transporting the twin boys to hospital last month. The twin girls have been very helpful in harvesting sukuma wiki this month, which transported and sold in town. The price of vegetables is determined by the supply and the weather, since vegetables grow well in mild temperatures.

Over 10 women in our village grow vegetables of different kinds and in different seasons. My method of growing them includes irrigation during the dry season which is tiresome but provides me a better price bargaining power due to scarcity.

The twins have started weaving mats day and night, since they are in their vacation awaiting their results. We hope to sell the mats next year to raise part of the money for their school fees for joining senior one. Joshua on the other hand after school fetches water for the family and also sells it to the villagers to earn some money. He saves with the village bank preparing for next academic year.

I have saved with the village bank and hope that at the end of this year, I will be able to clear my children’s school fees arrears and provide them with clothes and special meals this festive season. I want for the first time to replicate what my husband did for us when he was still alive.

I remembered mainly the great times we had together. Later, I remembered the disagreements but will still a smile. Why? Because it was those things that framed our wonderful relationship and that motivates me. Taking my time doing my usual everyday routine, has kept me going. I cannot imagine providing for five children with so much difficulty which has been a very challenging life as a single parent.

The households in our village have been supportive by providing our family with moral support and purchasing our harvest in cash since we grow mainly vegetables all year round.

The priest has promised the girls training in skills development during the festive season; we cannot wait to attend it since it will be knowledge as an alternative source of income to improve our livelihood.

After being counseled by the health worker on my positive HIV/AIDS status, she introduced me Henry who introduced me to the widows club. My stress levels disappeared when I shared my experience with the women and also learned that I was not alone.

Since then my life took a sharp turn and I have introduced three other widows to the club. I pray to God every day that he only takes me away after my children are able to fend for themselves.

From The Widows’ Club: Meet Nakalema Harriet & Family
Trish Robichaud

From the Widows’ Club: Meet Nakawoya Vicky & Family
Trish Robichaud

I am Kobusingye Rose a widow with 7 children, two are girls and 5 are boys.

I hope in the future to live in healthy conditions in life, looking after my children till they complete their studies, constructing a small house for the family and starting a business to cater for my family. This week I hope to get some money so that I can buy school requirements for my children. My hope for this month is to pay at least a quarter of school dues for each child. Although they are six children, I have worked and will work hard to get them educated.

My dream for this year is to finish my two roomed house, so that we can move in, cut down on our expenses of rent and use the money for school fees top up or rear some animals. I hope that in future when my children have grown up, they will look after me and fulfill my dream of visiting another country abroad.

What keeps me going is having some money with me to help me support the family, having food for us all here, avoiding myself from rumors, being social with everyone and our women organization that helps us share experiences. What motivates me on a day to day basis is I wake up in the morning and I prepare my kids for school and I go to dig in the garden and after I come back home to make baskets which I sell and I earn some money. My children at home help me to fetch water, washing clothes and cleaning the compound.

The community has been helpful to our family because they look after my children when I am not around. Especially the mothers help me when am in need e.g. salt, paraffin etc. They give me or lend me and I return when I have bought some. My relatives on either side will help me to give me medication in case am sick or my children. My tribe generally does nothing for me and my family, since most have migrated to bigger cities and those available, mind their duties.

Annual celebrations like Christmas I am always not happy because of lucking basic festival eats for my family e.g. meat, sodas, chicken because people like us in the village we can only get them once in the year.

What keeps me carrying on is I try my best to be stress free; I keep myself away from bad women gossip and actions. I really like being in organizations gatherings and being with some good friends by sharing views about some developmental ideas and experiences plus solutions to problems and obstacles encountered.

I support myself and my family by farming and rearing animals because I invest my little earnings in the garden and in animals. I get some money to support myself and the family. Basket making is my prime and major business. I saw some women doing it and I decided to do it as well because it doesn’t need much money to start this business. It was the only business I could start with little capital. It was easy for me because I get the raw materials from the forest and our banana plantation.

My customers come looking for me because I’m a good basket maker and my prices are negotiable. I determine how much money to ask for depending on the size, the smaller ones are of low price and the bigger is of high price. There is no one else who sells what I sell so I have no competition within the surrounding people. Since they don’t have time to make baskets, they spend much of their time in the garden.

My only dream and wish is to get more capital and expand the small businesses that am involved in so that I can see my children complete school and also provide basic needs for the family.

From the Widows’ Club: Meet Kobusingye Rose & Family
Trish Robichaud

My names are Buteesa Ruth I am a widow with two children. My hope for this week I hope to go and plant beans and also to plant some potatoes and transfer some banana stems. My hope for this month is to go and weed the crops I planted with my children.

My hope for the year I hope to start a small business of chicken learning so that I can earn some money that will help me to pay school fees for my children. My hope to rear more chicken for this period and when they are done their O and A level studies I hope to take them to technical schools to learn how they can start their own business in life and I have hope that God will allow that to happen.

I wake up in the morning I go to the garden to dig and weed my crops with my hand hoe. I have to find food that I will cook for my children, when I reach home I go to bring some water with the Jeri can from the well on my head so that I can use it for cooking.

After my meal I rest then in the evening at around 4;00 I go back to the garden again it keeps me going because I am always busy. The children help at home I send them at the shop or any where to go and bring what we need at home. They are still young although they are learning each work by the day.

My community I really work together with the people of the community and we all like each other because sometimes if I have no paraffin or salt I can go and ask any one of the community because sometimes I might fail to get the money to buy. My relatives I really don’t have much to do with them because even they cannot help me.

It is just me alone who have to face it all to help my children so I have to do what I can to make them live. The whole tribe is not of any help because they are my in-laws. When Christmas comes I am always very happy with my children because we are always excited because we eat all kinds of food on that day we eat meat, bananas, rice, chicken, potatoes and cassava all at one day.

The need to take care of your own children. They are victims of your own fate. I make sure I have food at home most of the time. When I have extra food I go and sale in the market so it really helps me to support myself and the family
I have a friend who came here where I live and told me she has someone who needs someone to help her at her home that is how the idea came of planting a garden. Being a rural village there are not many jobs so I created my own employment which feeds my family. No it has taken me years of cultivating the land.

The women around the village helped me and also the middlemen from Kampala who buy in large quantities. I usually check with the other sellers and determine my price depending on the size of the bunches or the harvest. There many sellers but with different products. My advantage is my pricing and quality of my produce. I really like it to be my own boss I just look for place and start a job weather a diary for milk, vegetable and food.

From the Widows’ Club: Meet Buteesa Ruth & Family
Trish Robichaud

I am Nabakooza Vero a widow with two daughters. I am determined to see my girls educated and blossom into young mature ladies. I got married off at eighteen and had my first daughter at nineteen, Two years later I had my second girl. My first girl was four years when I ran away from my late husband because of his polygamous nature. My daughters are currently in school, the first one in primary two and the last one in top class nursery school.

After his death I repossessed the three room house in the trading center. I could not have achieved this if I did not have the support of fellow widows from the village widows club. My first idea was rent off two rooms and survive on the rent fees. When I talked to my mother she was against the idea and asked me to start a restaurant.

My first six months were a nightmare with heavy losses. I began looking for customers and even reduced the price of different dishes. God gradually answered my prayers and I got a mini contract to supply food to a small road construction company. Middle of this year an estates developing company asked me to also supply them food.

The two bookings for outside catering have helped me buy the girl’s exercise books and clear the school fees. I pray that they will not close this year. I only hope that this month I can acquire more outside catering bookings and sell them to profit to pay the loan debt that he left in the village bank and save.

I hope that in a year I will have improved my restaurant and outside catering business expanding my client base and be able to purchase more plates, cutlery and saucepans . I also dreams of my children joining vocational institutions to acquire skills for self-reliance. The community especially the elderly ladies have been very helpful through their moral and social support to my children.

Although my father passed away last year, my mother has been very instrumental in assisting me bring up the children. As Vero recounts her agonizing experience in the hands of her husband, her words resonate with raw emotions of distress, bitterness and helplessness. I never loved him but he was the father of my children.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of my children bothers me so badly that it drives me to work harder by the day. The children’s constant demands on a day to day basis challenge me to find solutions. The ARVs from the health center have kept me alive and medication for the children at times that has allowed me to see my children grow. I pray that someday God answers my prayers of getting more capital to expand the restaurant.

From the Widows’ Club: Meet Nabakooza Vero & Family
Trish Robichaud

I am Kwaagala Peninah a widow with two children. I hope to acquire more customers to purchase my charcoal so that I am able to save more money for school fees since my son will soon attend school and my daughter attend school now. Then think of buying the girl exercise books and the boy his geometry set.

I only hope that this month I can acquire more charcoal sacks on loan and sell them to profit to pay my household rent and clear the school fees balance.

On a monthly basis I have to save money for transport to the health center for medical check up since my daughter and I were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. I want to train my daughter the realities of womanhood since soon she will start showing signs of adolescence. I want to counsel her over the months so that she can recover from the experienced frustrations about her life situations of living with HIV/AIDS.

I hope that in a year I will have improved my charcoal business expanded my client be able to purchase a plot of land to construct a two room house. I also dreams of my children joining vocational institutions to acquire skills for self-reliance.

My son wants to become a carpenter and my daughter wants to set up a big restaurant and also offer outside catering services. They are very protective of me and have sworn allegiance through competition that no man will ever take me away from them.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of my children bothers me so badly that it drives me to work harder by the day. The thought of them growing up without a normal childhood gives me strength to work harder for their future. Her dream of becoming a chef and him becoming a carpenter, gives me the courage to not think of the past but concentrate on the future.

My father has provided them with fatherly love; my mother has supported us morally through the years as desired which is an encouragement. Our community and my relatives have supported my charcoal business which is our everything for survival. This has improved our household income although its hand to mouth. In times of difficulty I remember my departed husband but remember that am the master of the house which gives me the courage to overcome the difficulty.

From the Widows’ Club: Meet Kwaagala Peninah & Family
Trish Robichaud

My names are Naziwa Aginess a widow with four children (two boys and two girls). My hope for the week is to buy scholastic materials and pay part of the school fees for my children. I also hope to buy the girls new knickers and shoes, while I hope to buy the boys new vests and socking’s.  On a monthly basis I hope I can acquire more hoes, gum boots and a panga for all the children to help me cultivate our piece of land.

On a 4 monthly basis I want to take all of them for a medical checkup. I want to procure sanitary pads for the girls and myself, for the boys I want to procure bags and shoes since the old ones are worn out. If I could clear the school fees balances for all the children, including meal fees.

For this year I am trying to save for my boys since they will be in school and my daughter who is going to be a primary seven candidate. I am also trying to save for training in agricultural best practices so that I can acquire knowledge and improve my rearing and farming skills for better income.

In future I would love my children to go to university. The boys to become professionals in engineering and medicine, while the girls become lawyers and statisticians since these are their dreams. They also hope to buy me land and construct a house for me with a business so that I stop working.

Although it has been a very challenging life as a single parent what keeps me going is the fact that I brought these children in this world. They are part of my past, present and future. I wake up to see them and they are the last human being I see before I fall asleep. The children’s constant demands on a day to day basis challenge me to find solutions.

My relatives support to our family through assisting in harvesting, the communities support through purchasing my vegetables and supplies at my kiosk keeps me occupied and energized every day. Our health center keeps me going by providing me with ARVs that have kept me alive and medication for the children at times that has allowed me to see my children grow.

From The Widows’ Club: Meet Naziwa Aginess & Family
Trish Robichaud