Our programmes
Education, health, income and rights are not separate boxes in a family’s life, so they are not separate boxes in our work. Here is how we group what we do.
Pillar one
A child who stays in school and a young adult who learns a trade are both investments a family keeps for life. This pillar is about making sure money and distance are not what ends an education.
Learning should not stop because school fees run out or the nearest classroom is too far. We back schooling, and we back skills training for the many young people and adults for whom a trade is the better road. Our Construction School project is the clearest example.
A child’s year at school can hang on a mother’s income, a missing meal or a sick grandparent. We look at the household as a whole: who is looking after whom, what is at risk, and where a small, well-aimed bit of help keeps a child on track.
Pillar two
Women and girls carry much of the work and little of the say. Rights only count when people know them and can use them. This pillar goes after both problems.
We work on the barriers that keep women and girls from school, income and decisions, and on the violence that too often sits behind them. We are a listed member of the GBV Prevention Network, which links groups across Africa working on the same problem.
A right nobody has heard of protects nobody. We help families and groups understand what they are entitled to, and we speak up, with partners, where those rights are not being respected.
Pillar three
Most families in Wakiso and Busia live off the land, the lake, a market stall or a trade. Steady income is what lets a household plan past next week.
We promote farming, fish farming and tree planting that put food on the table, bring in a modest income and leave the land and water in better shape than they were found.
A little capital and the habit of saving change what a household can survive. We focus on money skills, and on fairer access to savings and credit for women and young people who have been shut out.
Pillar four
Clean water, working local groups and a healthy shoreline decide how well a community keeps its people healthy. They are shared things, so they are looked after together.
Lasting change is rarely handed over. We work through local groups, leaders and volunteers, so that when a project ends, the people who made it work are still there to keep it going.
Clean water, healthy wetlands and a protected shoreline matter for health and for livelihoods alike. We care for water sources and the ecosystems around them.
A note on how we describe our work. These pages explain what each focus area is about and the approach we take. We would rather talk to you about specific results directly than print big claims on a web page. Ask us anything.
Tell us which one matters most to you and we will show you how you can help.