Update from BHW Uganda Partnership Facilitator

This report is based on some phone and WhatsApp discussions with Anna along with numerous WhatsApp messages over the last few months in addition to what I have been able to glean from related sources.

Recent Events

Loan Programme

Reports in regard to all of the Uganda micro-loan programmes have been quite scant. This is because most of the programmes, even very successful ones, are  really struggling at present. I have previously reported on an incidental visit to a place called Ngora in 2019 where we saw a wonderful programme in operation which was having huge results. Sadly that programme has folded because people needed the funds out of their savings simply to survive. 

Reports from Anna suggest that, at some level at least, the loan programmes in Mbale and Lira (UGA06) are still continuing. I am unsure exactly how these are happening but clearly payments are being made, loans are being given and some business is being done. This is incredibly encouraging given that the country has largely been in lockdown, and people have been confined to their homes, for a large portion of 2020. I think we should give thanks for that.

Anna has reported that Grace, who runs the bakery, and Betty, who were both in arrears under the loan programme previously, have now brought their loans up-to-date even with the current hardships. There also appears to be a greater degree of cooperation and goodwill in the programme according to Anna which is extremely encouraging.

It is heartening to see that, even in the midst of great difficulties, there is positive information to report.

Personal Stories

Mirriam, who has been one of the stalwarts of the group and who was HIV positive for many years, died just prior to Christmas 2020. Because Anna was locked down in Lira she was unable to attend the funeral. This was an extremely sad situation as she was much loved by all of the women who had rallied around to support her during her sickness. However, it is also only one of many deaths that have occurred in this and the Lira loan programme over the 2020 year. 

Ideas for the Future

As previously reported there was an intention to provide further funding for a larger scale bakery as a women’s cooperative in Mbale. This has proven too difficult to get off the ground and the idea has now been shelved.

In the future I expect there will be some requests for further equipment for the existing bakery and perhaps a greater degree of organic growth in that business as it has certainly proven itself to be sound even during the hardships. However, we have not seen evidence that a large capital injection of funds into the system, particularly given the somewhat erratic payment history of some of the senior people, would be wise at present.  

Comments

Going forward there is no way that I would want to see further funding going to this programme until we have a clearer idea of where this loan programme might go to in the future. Certainly this has always been the most unified and positive group that we have encountered in Uganda. Anna leads it incredibly well and the women are extremely supportive of one another. This programme needs to be supported in some form but we cannot determine that until we are able to go and visit (probably in the second quarter of 2022).

When the loan programme is resurrected I would envisage that it will likely be more of a table banking scheme run along the lines of others that we have seen. We will be requiring the leadership to undergo training in table banking and adopt this as the process going forward. This is likely to be a smaller scale operation and will enable the members to take a much more active and clearly structured role.

We have always found both the Mbale and Lira programmes to be extraordinarily well run and well supported by the women involved. There has always been a big waiting list for the Mbale programme in particular and this is a testimony to the persistence and dedication of Anna and Sarah Muzaki as leaders. 

I would hope that Bright Hope World can continue to support this programme in some form going forward. The women are really going to need our support coming out of lockdown and the last year’s hardships, which are still continuing.