One of our goals at THRIVEGulu has been to expand our successful programs to reach more vulnerable communities throughout Northern Uganda. Over the past year, we have helped over 300 women and men join our adult Empowerment Groups. Our combined beneficiary count for our core “Mother” program now reaches almost 10,000 individuals. The model of the Empowerment Group and the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) has proven to be effective and life changing. In rural Northern Uganda where communities have been all but forgotten, THRIVE staff have worked tirelessly to reach especially vulnerable villages.
Tem Gumi Empowernment Group is one of the newly founded THRIVE Empowerment Groups in rural Northern Uganda. With gratitude and enthusiasm, group members began their training from THRIVE in late 2018. Since the reputation of the THRIVE VSLA program has spread, group members hit the ground running with their new financial skills. Atim is one of these new members who is excited to share her experience:
“This past year, I have been suffering with my children. My husband and I are farmers and often unable to pay the school fees for our children. I was overjoyed to learn that I saved the most in our group over the past year! It has motivated me to increase my savings goal today. There is no way I could have accomplished this on my own.”
In additon to the VSLA program that accompanies the Empowerment Groups, group members gain additional trainings and life skills along with friendship. Atim shares, “I also benefited a lot from the friendship in the group. We had time to share our problems and challenges and got support from one another. My life is no longer the same since I’ve been in this group with the other women. Thank you to THRIVE for organizing this group!”
