Social Support
Bread of Life - Microfinance
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Our goal: Help clients achieve self-sustainability by providing them
with loans to start or expand income-generating activities.
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We believe making clients self-sufficient is an important part of our holistic
care service.
Loans of 100,000 - 500,000 Uganda shillings are extended to clients on a
five to eight months repayment schedule at a low interest rate. All clients,
that have been actively enrolled at Reach Out for a minimum of three months
and attend regular appointments, are eligible to receive a loan. As part of the
loan application the client must have a potential business venture. Once the
application is accepted, the applicant is provided with business training. The
workshops include sessions on creating a successful business plan, customer
service, record keeping and saving for incidental costs.
Currently we are unable to meet the demand for this service. We hope that
in the near future, with more funding, we will be able to provide more clients
with access to this service.
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Operation School Fees
This program provides educational support for clients and/or their children.
Operation School Fees (OSF) is an important preventative program as children
without education, especially females, are at a higher risk of contracting HIV/
AIDS when they grow up.
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It costs US$140 to sponsor a child through one year of school. This includes
the following costs:
| School fees: |
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US$48 |
| School bags: |
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US$3 |
| Uniform: |
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US$5 |
| Lunch: |
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US$39 |
| Scholistic materials: |
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US$45 |
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Children are selected for this program based on financial requirements as recommended
by our community network volunteers (CATTS), a questionnaire filled out by the client and
a visit from an OSF worker. Given the higher infection risk status of uneducated females,
we give priority to female applicants.
We monitor all children enrolled in this program with fortnightly school visits. If a child
is not performing well, we discuss with the teacher and student methods for improvement.
Currently we are providing support for approximately 600 children, covering 32 primary
schools and 19 secondary schools. We hope in the future, with further support, we will be
able to enroll more children in this program.
Roses of Mbuya
The Roses of Mbuya encompasses the Tailoring Workshop and the Beads of Hope. Both
initiatives aim to provide clients with practical skills that enable them to generate income
for their households.
Tailoring Workshop
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The tailoring workshop produces a variety of products including clothing, wallets, bags
and household accessories. These products are retailed in the Roses of Mbuya Shop at the
Reach Out Mbuya site. The main source of revenue for the workshop is, however, from
contractual work ranging from uniforms to specialized cloth products.
Operating from a small building at the Mbuya site, the workshop is constrained by lack
of space and equipment. We have hopes of expanding, including the establishment of a
tailoring school where more clients can learn skills that will promote their independence.
To read about the life of a Roses of Mbuya Tailor please refer to
Our Clients link.
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Beads of Hope
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Clients involved in the Beads of Hope make beautiful paper bead jewelry and accessories.
Examples of these products can be found if you follow the two links:
Roses website and
Our Products
Paper beads are a traditional handicraft of the Acholi tribe from Northern Uganda. There
are many Acholi people, displaced from their traditional homeland by the war with the Lords
Resistance Army, who have resettled in Mbuya parish, Kampala district. All beads sold by Reach
Out are made by Acholi women. Prior to Beads of Hope, the only source of income for these
women was from hard manual labor in a rock quarry.
The beads are hand-rolled using scraps of paper, usually from old magazines, glued and hand
painted with a layer of protective lacquer. Each piece of jewelry or accessory is unique as they
are all handmade and individually designed by the makers.
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