Akware & The Hera Women

Thousands of women fled the horrors of war and famine in the northern part of Uganda many years ago. Their husbands were dead or had abandoned them. Some of the women settled in the Bison slums in Tororo – a crowded area, often lacking proper sanitation, and most families live in one cramped space and sleep on thin mats on the floor. But it was all they could afford. In 2004, with the support of GUW, a group of women formed the “Hera Women’s Group.” Hera means love, and these women embody that meaning. They were eager to start businesses, but one of the most serious barriers to their success was illiteracy.

Many of these women had only gone to school until Primary 5 and could not even write their name. GUW immediately raised funds to provide literacy training– you can see Akware learning to write her name in this photo. We then provided business training and then grants and loans so that they could start small businesses.

When it was time to start the Family to Family program, members of the Hera Women’s group were among the first enrolled; now their sponsored students are fluent in English and have a bright future. Recently the Hera women partnered with the women from Ngiyo Ber group to form the Nyangole Business Cooperative, and some of the Hera women are in leadership roles. They have shares in the coop, they save together and loan to each other.

And, as a result of training from our Economic Development program regarding farming and proper nutrition, they have gardens where they are growing assorted vegetables and fruits for consumption and to sell. We continue to offer support and training, and many women in the Hera group are now able to provide for their families in a way they hadn’t imagined possible.