Following our activity progress assessment, a number of achievements were realized in this reporting period as noted here below:
An growing response to community needs. In the past year, we have realized a growing influence and action on community needs such as the provision of better health care, food production, animal rearing among others.
Sustainable income generation.
As noted above, hitherto unknown to the elderly in Kisoko Amor, they are continuing with generating income of their own through several interventions such as Mushroom growing Jelly production, crafts. This makes available some resources to take care of themselves and the children under their care.
Donations of Shoe boxes from Operation Christmas Child.
With the donations of Shoe boxes we have continued to receive from Operation Christmas Child, HFTEMU donated the shoe boxes to the Puipils of Portland Nursery and Primary School. It is a blessing to give. The children were very grafeful, some of them had never got any gift. This was their special moment of joy.
Donation for Beddings.
With the help of friends in the United States of America, we received funds for 16 beddings for the elderly which includes; A bed frame, mattress, blanket and bed sheets per head.
Traditionally the grandparents and great grand parents in Uganda are supported by their families. There is not a social welfare support system in place to support those left without support. Since the HIV/AIIDS epidemic has left many of the elderly childless with no support to their orphaned grand children and great grand children until adulthood, they often live on very meager means to see the next day. The elderly persons of Amor community were sleeping on mats placed on the floor or ground. The 14 elderly persons who got the beddings were very grateful and were more comfortable. Self care was improved, after their sleeping facilities were elevated. Through sensitization about the need for self care and personal hygiene, these households have maintained the quality of these facilities. It was due to this reason that the team of Hope for the elderly came up with a project to develop their quality of life through offering better sleeping facilities to these households. It was a motivation and inspiration for the elderly to keep up a decent quality of life.
Seed Grant from The Pollination Project.
Hope For The Elderly Ministries Uganda has continued with the seed grant acquired from The Pollination Project. This was one of our greatest achievements of the year which greatly promoted the beneficiary community’s social-economic welfare improvement.
Some of the elderly like; Gevina, Gitano and others continued to testify about eating mushrooms. “ Oyster mushrooms are rich in protein, it helps lower down high blood pressure, good for depression, it’s an appetizer, energy boaster, helps in conception for easy digestion and affordable”. A number of households have now adopted a recommended preparation of mushroom stew, which is eaten with millet bread. Thank you once again, The Pollination Project for the seed grant which has enabled us to enhance the elderly people’s households through running of economic development initiatives and lessening their care burden.
Peanut grinding in the community. This added value to local produce and has encouraged crop production in Kisoko Amor, promoted and raised the beneficiaries’ welfare through income generation as well contributed towards the organization’s budgetary support.
An up-to-date organization legal status.
The organization continues to stand as a legal entity following the renewal of its certificate and permit of operation for the next three years.
Seniors’ welfare improvement.
With essential medicine supplied through partners to seniors that wouldn’t hitherto afford it, by providing food and clothing(Christmas Baskets) and means of income generation to elders households that hitherto wouldn’t afford it, the seniors’ welfare can evidently be seen to be improving every year.
Building a community savings and investment culture.
Through the community savings and Investment scheme that has greatly increased, community embraced the significance of saving and investment and in the future, this is expected to be scaled up and advance the beneficiaries’ welfare through its multiplier effect.
Below: Seniors receive
basic welfare support after activity on center day and below seniors receiving
Christmas packages. They seniors had a hot meal before receiving their
packages.
