Economic Development
About 39% of people in eastern Uganda live below the international poverty line, earning less than $1.77 per day. While Uganda has made great strides in reducing poverty, the eastern region lags behind. Rural households in Tororo district, where Give Us Wings operates, regularly face income vulnerability and food insecurity.
To boost economic development in the region, Give Us Wings partners with existing agricultural cooperatives and operates a skills development program for women.
Co-op Partnership Program
Give Us Wings partners with several cooperatives in the district of Tororo. The co-op system is popular in Uganda. Groups of people who engage in similar activities come together to assist each other with workloads, share transportation costs, bulk produce, and get higher prices at market. Co-ops in Uganda also serve as a savings and loan instrument for their members, enabling them to get simple financial assistance that would not be available to them at a "regular" bank. Engaging with cooperatives has become an effective way for Give Us Wings to assist a large number of people and encourage the growth of entire economies.
Give Us Wings prioritizes support for co-ops that place women in leadership positions in an effort to combat gender-based inequality.
In these partnerships, we listen as members share their challenges, opportunities and ideas about what the need to be successful. We then work to provide training, resources, equipment and support to help them thrive.
Community Youth Skilling Program
The region around Tororo district has the highest youth unemployment rate in the country. Many of these unemployed are young women who have had to drop out of school for some reason. Give Us Wings’ Community Youth Skilling Program gives women the opportunity to gain professional skills in an enterprise of their choice. Current offerings are tailoring, hairdressing, and baking. The women receive a six-month training course and then are given a package of capital and supplies with which to start their own small business. As the participants progress in knowledge and skills, they can become trainers for newcomers in the program, creating a circle of benefits.
Get an inside look into our Economic Development Program
Support entrepreneurs in rural Uganda
Our partners in Uganda are growing their businesses, increasing household incomes, and contributing to the vibrancy of their communities. Click below to read stories about our impact or to help our partners succeed with a financial donation.
