A Path to Independence
Keziya is showing some of the beautiful baskets the women's weaving group is selling
If you've ever started your own business you know that feeling of excitement when you open the doors! Well, our women and girls were overjoyed as the new Kisa Kyamukama shop opened for business and this is all thanks to you!
It was just about a year ago that the women's group received materials to start a weaving cooperative in Buterimire village. Since then, these women have been meeting regularly to create mats, tablecloths, and other knitted items.
Then, this past fall, we invested once again in their training and they started learning traditional weaving techniques.
They are using natural fibers and dyes to make baskets and mats, and I think you can see the results are beautiful!
However, all of these wonderful crafts were not selling because of the distance to town.
When I met with the women's groups during my recent trip to Uganda, they proposed opening a store location in Kamuli town where there would be many more customers.
Now, thanks to all of you, our donors, their dream has become a reality!
They've stocked the new store with all types of handcrafted items!
You can take a tour of the store by watching the video below! Clicking on it will bring you over to our YouTube channel. It's 3:24 minutes but you can speed it up a bit. The (loud) music playing is from the shop across the street. It gives you a little look into Kamuli town!
The women are taking turns running the shop. That is Annet working in the shop in the video. She has been taking the lead on organizing the women and getting the shop up and running. In just a couple of weeks, they've taken in about $50 USD. That is a big deal in Uganda, and we're all excited about the potential for the future. The women will be adding stock and continuing to make updates and improvements to their store.
The women are learning business skills and have a bank account for the store. The money from their sales will pay the craft maker, buy more materials to make items, and pay for the store rent and other business expenses.
Thirty women and their children will benefit from this sustainable project. The girls in the tailoring program at our vocational center are also contributing bags, clothing, and other sewn items for the store. That is a far-reaching impact that will help many children get an education!
The difference this has made for the women is really amazing. In addition to the financial benefits, they are gaining knowledge and building confidence. This helps them assert themselves and stand up for their rights. That goes a long way to lifting the women and their children out of poverty.
Thank you for investing in the girls and women and being on this journey with us!
With Gratitude,
Mary
P.S. Here's a short video of the women weaving in the village I thought you might enjoy!
