Kakira is a poor sugar cane farming village about 20 minutes taxi ride from Jinja. We chose Kakira for our second community education project as it is an area with high levels of poverty, low income and high risk of children ending up on the street.

When we began the paper making project in Kakira in November 2011, each of these women were living in deep poverty, with little or no education and no chance of an income that could help them support their families. Some of the women were working in prostitution and other risky jobs in order to support their families, putting their health and even their lives at risk. There was a high chance of their children running to the street as these women were unable to feed or educate them. At our S.A.L.V.E. Conference in July 2012, Lazi, the group leader explained how “S.A.L.V.E. has turned her life around. Before joining S.A.L.V.E. she was unable to read or write but now she is learning fast how to do both these things”. This group completed its three year cycle of support from S.A.L.V.E. and has graduated to operate their businesses independently.

The Kakira project makes beautiful cards and small soft toy animals.

The Kakira project was made up of 10 women:

Busingye Lazi is the group leader of the Kakira project with 6 dependants. She has invested in weighing scales (a huge investment) to help get her Posho flour selling business up and running.

Anyango Margret is a widow with 3 dependants. Using the skills she has learnt during the project, Margaret is now selling Mandazi (a type of bread/cake) which has helped increase her income.

Namuwaya Rehema is separated from her Husband and has 3 dependants. Alongside the paper project, Rehema is now earning double her wages from her small chips and cassava stall she runs in the evenings.

Achenyi Mary is separated from her husband and takes care of 3 dependants. Mary is currently saving her money with the hope that she will soon be able to start selling silver fish and dried fish.

Nambuya Oliver is separated from her husband and has 6 dependants. Using the skills she learnt from the project, she began her own business selling Mandazi and fried cassava.

Akiiki Annette is a widow with 4 dependants to care for. Taking part in the S.A.L.V.E. paper making project gave her the confidence to begin her own small business selling samosas. She runs this around her time at S.A.L.V.E.

Harono Stella has 6 children to care for.With her new skills she now she plans to start her own business, selling smoked fish.

Ndikimwiza Night is married and has 8 dependants. She is planning to begin her own business of selling charcoal very soon using the knowledge and skills gained from the S.A.L.V.E. project.

Nakawoya Hawa is single with 2 children. Hawa used the money she earned from S.A.L.V.E.s project to buy and start breeding chickens to send her young boys to school making a 300% profit margin

Mutonyi Irene is married with 8 dependants. She hopes to start selling tomato’s and silver fish soon so that she can increase her income and ensure that her children get a good education.