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We were very saddened to hear of the sudden death of our much-loved partner Anna Ocen (centre in photo) on 14 January 2024. This was following surgery complications and was unexpected. This has left her husband Simon deeply grieving, and I have had discussions with him, and also with their daughter Fiona. Anna and Simon's other daughter, Deborah, is profoundly deaf and I am unable to communicate with her from New Zealand but am sure she is grieving deeply too. Our hearts have gone out to the family and Bright Hope World has sent some funds to support the family with the burial and related costs.
Anna’s death has left a huge hole both at Hope Restoration Centre (UGA03a) and the two loan programmes she looked after. She was such a loving, generous, kind and wise woman. We have always enjoyed our time with the family, and been greatly impressed by her commitment, organisation and dedication to those that she has served. She has also blessed many people by her commitment to travel and minister to other women both in Uganda and abroad at various times, despite life threatening health setbacks. These have not stopped her from reaching out to and caring for others.
When I talked to Simon in March, he was describing the situation in Mbale. Since Anna died, one of the other loan beneficiaries Sarah Wisonga, who was a seller of second-hand clothes collapsed and died. She was one of Anna's close friends and had been deeply affected by Anna's death.
In my discussion with Fiona on 14th May she told me that, before she died, Anna was already discussing with Fiona about changing both the Lira and Mbale loan programmes into table banking programmes. Anna had not had any training on this, but I know that I had had discussions with Anna last year about the future of the loan programmes and that the ongoing support of funds each year was likely to reduce and finish. In 2019, before the pandemic, she took us to visit a table banking programme in Ngora about two hours south of Lira. This programme was structured very differently to the existing Lira programme and was clearly hugely effective. Anna was aware that we would not continue to fund either loan programme indefinitely. We have been putting considerable resource into each programme and it is highly unlikely, particularly following the COVID pandemic, that all the original funding will still be in the programmes.
The Mbale microloan programme had approximately 90, but possibly more, people in the programme in 2022 when we were last there, broken into subgroups with sub leaders. My understanding is that this system has worked quite well and has ensured that to some degree the programme can continue.
Fiona informed me that the Mbale programme is still continuing. People are making payments and there are good records. Meetings are still being held and she is in the process of working out exactly where things are at with that programme. Simon has given me a list of all the beneficiaries in this programme.
It was encouraging to hear this about this programme, as this has been an extremely effective and well-functioning one. One of the issues that we need to consider at a BHW level is that we assisted Anna with funding towards her own costs for administering the two loan programmes, visiting people, talk time, and generally administering both programmes. I would propose that, as matters develop, we look at allocating that funding towards Fiona and Penninah, possibly split equally as it would appear to me that Fiona is going to be a suitable successor. I have had two lengthy and detailed discussions with her and it is clear that she is happy to step in to this role. This was also one of Anna’s last requests, which Simon, Anna’s husband communicated to me. Fiona seems to be well equipped to do so. I have found her to be a problem-solving thinker, and very straightforward to connect with. I have also heard her heart expression of wanting to be very supportive towards HRC, the young people there, and its vision.
Since Anna died, they have not had access to the bank account for Hope Restoration Centre and the loan programmes, as Anna controlled it solely. Simon and Fiona have been working to resolve this situation, but this is a time consuming and difficult legal process and is undoubtedly going to take months, if not a year or more to fully finalise. In the meantime, however they are able to continue to use the account which is encouraging.
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1) We support Fiona (3rd from left) to transition into the role of administrator of both loan programmes.
2) As matters settle down, we also look at transitioning both loan programmes to table banking programmes. This would be in line with Anna’s thinking and possibly will make both programmes more accountable and easier to administer. I discussed with Fiona, following discussions with our Field Director, that we could look at running a table banking seminar including Jacklyne Ogutu from Kenya in early to mid-2025. We did in fact have one all set up and ready to go in May 2020 when the pandemic struck, and we had to cancel it. It does make sense now to introduce the concept and training in 2025 and bring our partners together to see what it is about. I would not expect Fiona to be able to transition both programmes before doing this training. At the same time, apart from supporting her with the administration costs, I do not think that we should be putting any further funds into the existing programmes at present.