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"I think big!" gushes Eric. "I want to be the best designer ever!"
His goals aren’t limited to fashioning clothes, but to every aspect of design. With unbridled ambition, a strong work ethic and passion, this 22 year old is unstoppable.
Thanks to Project Have Hope's scholastic sponsorship program, Eric had the opportunity to pursue a course in fashion and design, and is currently employed by a company that manufactures clothes for government contracts.
Eric’s passion for design was ignited when he was 17 years old. His uniform was too big and ill-fitting. He was determined to fix it. “ ‘Let me try,’ ” he recalls saying to himself as he sat behind a sewing machine for the first time to adjust his uniform. “From that day, I loved tailoring.
Pursuing a course in tailoring would have been an impossibility without the financial support of Project Have Hope. Susan has gained both a skill and a confidence that helps her to navigate the future and the challenges that persist.
Much of Susan’s youth was spent rising before the sun and going to bed long after the moon had risen. Her day would start at 4am, when she would rise to head to the fields to work. She’d return home as the sun was setting and begin the time-consuming task of preparing a meal. Day after day.
At 19, a young mother herself, Susan moved to the Acholi Quarter. There, she labored in the stone quarry, often with her infant baby on her back.
When Project Have Hope began, it was a welcome relief to Susan. She could work from home with her daughter seated nearby and roll paper into beads. “It was simple work, easy work,” Susan carefreely recalls. Not only was the work easy, but she’d earn twice what she earned in the quarry. “It was a very great change for me.”
Susan later enrolled in a tailoring course through Project Have Hope’s support. From the beginning, she was thrilled with the opportunity tailoring presented. “You can expect money any day, any time,” Susan beams. “If I return to the village, I can bring my tailoring machine and work from there and earn a living. I can work anywhere.”
“Education is important because it transforms a child who has lost hope,” Achiro Molly heartfully acknowledges. She should know. Education has given her the power to write her own future.
“I want to be hardworking like my mom,” Achiro Molly says with the quiet perseverance of a woman beyond the years of 22. The third born in a family of six, Molly’s mother had no choice but to work hard. Forced to flee from her homeland in the North because of war, Molly’s parents found shelter in the Acholi Quarter. Molly’s mom first worked in the stone quarry and then found easier work crafting paper bead jewelry when Project Have Hope (PHH) began its work in 2006. To supplement her income, she also sold vegetables and boiled maize to hungry neighbors.
When she was still in primary school, Molly’s father died, increasing the hardship her mother faced. PHH stepped in and took over payment of Molly’s school fees. The financial strain of school fees forces many young children to abandon their studies, leaving an educational gap that can never be filled.
An eager student, Molly always loved going to school. Even at a young age, she saw the power of education. “I wanted to change my family’s story from worse to better,” Molly recalls of her younger days, a feat she has conquered.
After completing Senior 4, with financial assistance from PHH, Molly pursued a course in early childhood development. During her studies, she did a one month internship at Hilpog Junior School. Upon graduation, Molly dutifully sought work. She inquired with the headmaster at Hilpog. His reply, so impressed with her role as an intern, “I don’t even need to interview you.” It’s been three years since Molly began her teaching career. She co-teaches a rowdy group of 3 and 4 year olds. Her demeanor is calm despite the mayhem one would expect from a roomful of youngsters. She confesses, “My biggest challenge is when they don’t keep quiet.” She credits her success to believing in herself.
In 2022, Molly’s mother returned to the North. Molly’s two older siblings are both married with children of their own, so the responsibility of her two younger sisters falls upon her. Her salary makes it possible for her sisters to continue their education. “My mom has struggled for us and has done everything for us,” Molly earnestly appreciates. Now, at just 22, it’s Molly’s turn.
Through PHH, Molly was able to receive an education and complete a course in teaching, paving the way for her to build a successful future and that success is now paving the way for her younger sisters.
Molly’s diligence and steadfast belief in herself is the driving force to her ultimate success – a success she is sharing with her younger sisters in hope they too, will have the same opportunities that she has.
Standing by the chalkboard, white chalk in hand, Mercy stays focused. Peering at her are 28 little faces seated on the floor, looking up with wide eyes. Some attentive. Some distracted. Some quiet. Some skittish. Children. What more can you expect from a roomful of 3-year olds?
At just 24 years old, Mercy has achieved more than many who have grown up in Uganda’s Acholi Quarter. When she was in primary two, Project Have Hope took over her scholastic sponsorship, ensuring that she was able to receive an education. It was in primary two when her own mother’s education was halted due to lack of money.
Mercy often reflects on what her life would have been like if Project Have Hope hadn’t made it possible for her to attend school and receive a certificate for early childhood development. “If I had not had an education, I’d be married with kids now,” she says, dismayed by the thought of that path which she has seen many others take. “That means I couldn’t pursue my own dreams.” With an education, Mercy now has the power to build a secure future that will enable her to pursue a path of financial independence, and her current success is enabling her four younger siblings to continue their studies, ensuring they, too, can pursue their own dreams.
“I feel like I can help,” Gloria boldly asserts in her quiet, thoughtful demeanor which betrays the true fire that burns from within her. At 23, Ageno Gloria is already a go-getter. She is on track to complete her BA of law from Uganda Christian University in April 2024. “Before I went for law, I wanted to be a teacher,” Gloria recalls. “Now I want to be a family lawyer.” She continues, “There’s a lot of domestic violence back at home (in Northern Uganda). Women are violated. Women are forced into marriage.” She wants to change that and to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. She believes that too often, girls and women don’t know their rights. Fearlessly, she intends to change that.
Gloria is one of the founding members of Echo Hearts, an NGO in its early stages, founded by a youthful group of 21-32 year old Ugandans. The organization aims to teach people the law and advise them of their rights. “Both men and women do things out of ignorance,” Gloria notes. The organization will help advise men of their responsibilities and women of their rights.
As a youth, Gloria spent two years working with Kectil, a community based organization (CBO) that focused on education, entrepreneurial training and the environment. She fondly remembers her time organizing community clean ups, but counters, “That was not my dream. I was helping someone else aspire to achieve her dream.” Echo Hearts is the beginning of pursuing her dream of giving a voice to all women in Uganda.
I consider Uganda to be my second home, and a beautiful home, indeed, it is. The people are extremely friendly and the country, infinitely lush and diverse. I’ve been fortunate to have visited most of the national parks and to have experienced trekking to see the mountain gorillas on two occasions. But even so, there’s so much of the country I’ve yet to explore. I find myself often encouraging people to visit this amazing country, both to see it’s natural beauty and also to dispel myths they may have. I sat down with my German friend, Yvonne Hilgendorf, who calls Uganda home. She’s been working in the tourism industry for over 12 years. Passionate about sustainable and community tourism, she started her own company, Manya Africa Tours, in 2019 so she could share her love and knowledge of Uganda with others. “When I first reached Uganda, I felt home for the first time,” Yvonne confesses. “I never had this feeling before in Germany, and I was always looking for a purpose.” She found that purpose in Uganda.
PHH: What prompted you to first visit Uganda and then make it your home?
YH: I have studied Tourism Geography at the University of Trier in Germany and was looking for a diploma thesis topic so I visited Uganda in 2008 for the first time to do the research for my thesis. I lived in 3 communities for 1 to 3 months which were Ruboni at the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, Bigodi Wetlands near Kibale National Park and Bushara Island on Lake Bunyonyi.
PHH: What’s your background in tourism in Uganda?
YH: I have worked for 12 years for different international and local tour companies and hotels, in the roles of director of sales, sales and marketing executive, and assistant to the executive director. In these capacities, I’ve gathered a lot of experience by solving problems on the job. In Uganda everyone thinks that you know everything if you come from a developed country, so it is expected that you don't fear and just do.
PHH: You’re the author of Community Based Tourism in Uganda, what was the inspiration?
YH: My professors inspired me to write the book since there is very little information on Tourism in Uganda. Community based tourism provide tourists with exceptional experiences and a real insight into Uganda.
PHH: What are the benefits of community tourism for both travelers and the community?
YH: Both sides can learn a lot from each other. Culture in Western countries is disappearing more and more. Forests and wildlife, as well. So we include different community projects which keep the culture alive, such as traditional meals with Ugandan families and projects that protect endangered animals like the Rhinos Sanctuary and the Uganda Carnivore Project, which protects the big cats. Communities learn to value their nature and wildlife and won't poach or cut down trees. In turn, they receive an income to support their families and their own projects. We really like to give back but also that people don't expect the outside world to only give. We love the idea of an exchange between the two worlds or totally different cultures.
PHH: Why do you think it’s important to promote sustainable tourism efforts in Uganda?
YH: Sustainable tourism in Uganda is vital to protect the beautiful nature and biodiversity and culture of Uganda for future generations. To do that, while also educating both the tourists and the local people is key. More importantly, local people earn an income through tourism and are more independent from outside donations.
PHH: Why did you start Manya Africa Tours?
YH: I am thankful to have worked for other tour companies for so long, but I also realized
that there must be something bigger and more challenging. I wanted to create a sustainable company. For example, we try to reduce plastics on our tours. We plant trees. We give back through certain projects. We want to show the different aspects of Africa and not the typical, often quite negative, pictures that are shown outside. My son, Leon, was born 12 years ago, and I want to give him a start for his future. I honestly hope that he will work with me one day.
PHH: In what ways does Manya Africa Tours immerse tourists in Uganda’s culture?
YH: We use only local guides. Though they all speak different tribal languages, they are also fluent in English and some speak French and German to accommodate our clients’ needs. Our office team is also composed of a combination of expats, like myself, and Ugandans. We like to support women, as well, because they are the most in need, but also the strongest I have ever seen. We always include different projects in our safaris, like a traditional lunch at Tinka John. We also have a matooke project where the tourists can actively participate in the production of banana juice or the so-called “war gin.” We can even arrange a visit to kraal of the Karamojong, or an overnight stay with them and their cattle, an unforgettable and unique experience.
PHH: What makes Uganda unique and a destination everyone should visit?
YH: Uganda is lush green compared to our more dryish neighbors ,Kenya and Tanzania and has a welcoming climate (not too hot, not too cold) and welcoming, friendly people. The landscape of the country is ever changing. Highlights include the Rwenzori mountain range, Lake Bunyonyi, the Nile, national parks like Murchison Falls, and, of course, the chimpanzees and mountain gorillas. To see them is a lifetime experience that brings goose bumps or tears to the eyes.
PHH: What are the top 5 destinations or experiences in Uganda that you think shouldn’t be missed?
YH:
If you want to learn more about the diversity in Uganda and experience it firsthand, feel free to contact me directly @ info@projecthavehope.org or Yvonne @ info@manyaafricatours.com.
“When I was younger, I wanted to be an engineer,“ states 25 year old Opio Jotham, quite matter of factly, a bit surprising as one of eight children raised in the Acholi Quarter, a slum on the outskirts of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and a haven for refugees from Northern Uganda who fled to escape the civil war. His mother’s education ended in the sixth grade while his father took up a vocational training course in carpentry after completing senior 4, the equivalent of American high school. “In senior 2, I learned that two of my siblings have sickle cell anemia. That’s when I became passionate to be a doctor,” recalls Jotham. In December, Jotham completed a three-year course in clinical medicine and is now working alternating shifts at three separate clinics and sees 30-35 patients a day.
Besides the obvious scholastic challenges to completing his degree, the financial hardships imposed on him and his family cannot be dismissed. Jotham recounts how whenever his father would get a carpentry job, it became a family affair. They’d all work together. That strong family bond persists today. The bulk of his 250,000 Uganda schillings weekly salary, or about $70, goes directly into the family’s coffer to help pay the school fees for his three younger siblings.
Jotham envisions a future with even greater success than he has already achieved. He hopes to pursue a five-year course in medicine and surgery or a four-year course in anesthesiology. “Although I would love to stay around Kampala, I’d go wherever the opportunity is,” he acknowledges as he contemplates his future. Ultimately, Jotham hopes to open his own clinic so he can balance his work schedule with having a family of his own.
Jotham believes the real impact of his work goes beyond the treatment he provides to his patients. “It’s about the feeling you give,” he counters. “It’s about giving hope.”
“You give hope to the hopeless,” Jotham modestly continues. “I don’t want to say directly that you give life, but you make life better.” He beams. “It makes you feel extra-ordinary.”
What is Fair Trade?
Fair trade aims to create a safer, more equitable and dignified work environment in which ethical and sustainable products can be sourced, and artisans empowered. Fair trade gives consumers the opportunity to vote with their dollars and support businesses that promote their ideals and principles.
What does Fair Trade mean to Project Have Hope?
As a proud member of the Fair Trade Federation since 2010, Project Have Hope is committed to fair trade principles. Fair trade enables the artisans with whom we work to showcase their skills, retain cultural identity, earn a fair wage and gain opportunities. Not only do we pay above market price for the crafts they produce, we offer additional opportunities to enable the artisans to secure financial stability and access education. As displaced refugees, many of our artisans have grown up with little security. The threat of LRA rebels during the civil war in Northern Uganda forced them to flee their homes and their agricultural existence known for generations, and to only find safety within the confines of an urban slum. Through the work of Project Have Hope, these artisans have regained financial autonomy and their children have greater opportunities to break free of the shackles of poverty.
Does my purchase really make a difference?
Yes! Emphatically, yes! Your purchase makes it possible for artisans to feed their families, educate their children, build homes and create a brighter future. The wage earned for 12 necklaces or 25 bracelets is enough for an artisan to pay rent for one entire month! The bigger impact is the power of your dollar. As consumers demand transparency about who makes their products and the conditions faced by those workers face, companies are forced to make changes and adopt fairer practices.
Who’s on the naughty list?
Ethical Consumer has created a list of some of the least ethical companies. Read more:
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/retailers/five-unethical-companies
Who’s on the nice list?
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/retailers/top-5-ethical-companies-brands
Do you want to learn more about Fair Trade?
Visit: https://www.fairtradefederation.org/what-is-fair-trade/
Interested in reading what other Fair Traders have to say?
Dunitz Fair Trade has compiled a list of FTF Member blogs
https://www.dunitzfairtrade.com/2020/07/fair-trade-federation-bloggers.html
This year marks the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, which was supported by 20 million Americans, Earth Day has grown considerably. Today, about 1 billion people in more than 190 countries recognize Earth Day. But it’s not just about celebrating for one day. Real impact is gained by making conscious, earth-friendly choices every day.
We’ve put together a list of our ten favorite ways to honor Mother Earth on Earth Day and throughout the year.
What are your favorite ways to be kind to the environment?
When I first arrived in the Acholi Quarter, I was immediately struck by how warm and friendly everyone was. On that first day, I was taken to meet with three women and hear a bit about their lives and hear “their stories.” A young woman with near-perfect English, a quiet demeanor and an innocent smile, Nora, translated for me. I sat and listened to the first heart-wrenching story from a woman who was beaten to near death and then, body broken, carted by bicycle to escape the north. The second woman told me of her experiences being held captive by the rebels. As she told the unflinching details, she sent her grandson to fetch me a Coca-Cola. The price of that Coke would be the equivalent of half a day’s work in the brutal conditions of the stone quarry. By the time I entered the home of the third woman, I had shut down. I was no longer listening to the words carefully translated into English. My mind had tuned out and I was thinking ahead. How could I help?
Each of these three women shared such personal, often horrific details of their lives with me, a stranger with a camera. And each maintained a grace that I cannot forget. Despite their ordeals, the tragedies inflicted upon them and their families in the north, and their continued struggle as displaced refugees living in a slum outside of the capital and the trappings of poverty that come with it, they had a freeness of spirit. They had a way of embracing and appreciating, and living and loving life, that renewed the spirit. They did not harbor and dwell on their past traumas, but instead exhibited endurance and a will to move forward, even if the steps were small and unsteady.
It was that spirit that moved me to want to help. I had no concrete plan of how to do so. My thoughts were simple, naive, in fact. A year earlier, I had purchased my first home with an income cobbled together from a pauper’s photojournalist’s salary supplemented by weekends shooting weddings. I was certainly not living the high life, but I was secure, something the Acholi mothers could not say. Simplistically, I figured, “I can do something.” Not really sure what that something was.
Throughout high school and college, I had always worked in retail and as a wedding photographer, I had honed my small business skills, that was the extent of what I brought to the table. Well, that’s not entirely true. I also have an innate stubbornness and unwillingness to fail mentality, that probably is a greater testament to Project Have Hope’s longevity than my ability to squarely fold t-shirts, a skill I certainly don’t practice often enough.
I approached the idea of starting a non-profit the same way I would travel. Get on a plane. Explore. See who I meet and where I end up. There was no five-year plan. Heck, there was no one-year plan. There was a basic drive to do something to help.
Never comfortable with asking for money, I knew fundraising would certainly not be the foundation. I admired the colorful jewelry they made from paper beads and my retail instincts kicked in.
In 2022, it’s hard to recall that paper bead jewelry was once a novelty. These days, the craft has extended to neighboring Rwanda and Tanzania, to South American countries, and to Hades. In 2005, the jewelry was entirely unique and a conversation-starter.
I’d raise money by selling the jewelry. It made perfect sense. This would create a collaborative entity, one in which the women’s work and artistry formed the basis of fundraising. It wouldn’t be some handout, but a partnership.
From its infancy, my plan remained the same, to raise funds through capitalizing on their artistry and use that to create business opportunities in Uganda, business opportunities that were completely separate from bead-making. With that foundation percolating in my mind, I returned to the States two weeks later.
The women had gifted me a large bag of jewelry, about the size of an average grocery shopping bag. It was early November. ‘Tis the season to shop. I quickly and easily sold the jewelry. A few short weeks later, I returned to the Acholi Quarter in January 2006 to organize formally the non-profit.
I emptied my measly savings account and strapped $1500 to a money belt hidden under the waist of my pants and off I went, all heart and no real plan.
