It has been just over two weeks since returning from my second trip to Gulu, Uganda. It felt so good to re-connect with THRIVE staff, to share with them a meal of rice and beans, to joke about how I sometimes fear I will melt under the hot African sun, and to hear stories about the amazing work they have been doing since I last visited in October. One highlight from this trip was that I was able to visit seven of our EMPOWERMENT GROUPS – one group consisted entirely of women who had been abducted, forced into early marriage and motherhood by the Lord’s Resistance Army; another was comprised of mostly young men who had previously been forced to carry guns, pillage local villages and attack their own kith and kin. To see these individuals now THRIVING was simply incredible! The women have saved enough money to pay their children’s school fees, while the men took me on a tour of their small woodshop, celebrating the fact that just two years ago they didn’t have a single piece of wood with which to build furniture. THRIVE has settled into a model of economic empowerment that is now ready to be replicated – in 2018, we will establish brand new empowerment groups in different communities, bringing hope to some of the most marginalized communities in Uganda.
Other highlights include visits to our ADULT LITERACY GROUPS. Hundreds of women and men have been learning to read and write in both English and their native Acholi language. These adult learners, many of whom had been functionally illiterate, are now enthusiastic participants in outdoor classrooms! One group was reading a story in English about domestic violence. The literacy facilitator invited the group to reflect on their own personal experiences as they relate to the story: “If you were a character in this story, what would you do?” This level of self-reflection, coupled with group sharing, encouragement and empathic support underscores benefits of THRIVE’s adult literacy program that go far beyond the skills of reading and writing. Villagers are learning to trust one another, leaving their weekly sessions feeling hopeful about tomorrow!
On behalf of all at THRIVEGulu, I thank you – our donors, supporters and allies – for all that you do to help us deliver the highest standard of humanitarian and development aid to the people of northern Uganda. In the coming weeks and months, you will be hearing more from us about the exciting work we are doing together! Please follow us on our revamped website and on social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).
United we stand…
TOGETHER WE THRIVE!!!
–Mick Hirsch, Executive Director
