Whatever happened to those businesses in Uganda?

Remember in January 2012 when I posted about five new small businesses in Uganda? Nalu Prossy, a SIA Small Business Coordinator in Uganda, had just trained the new groups and we gave a warm welcome to the new entrepreneurs.

It was only as I was going through a stack of files recently that I realized I hadn’t followed up with you yet! Read on to see how they’re doing:

* Brick Making and Pottery – This group used the $85 they earned in the first few months to pay for school fees for their children. See the photos below of the group firing their bricks. They make the bricks out of earth, stack them in a circle, cover them with wet grass, and build a hot fire in the middle of the circle to fire the bricks. “Burned” bricks last longer than the less-expensive adobe bricks.

* Chicken Rearing – This family business has benefited all 8 family members by helping them build a new roof on their home. They report that their greatest success has been the high demand for their chickens! They used some of the profit to buy more vaccines to keep the new  chicks healthy.

* Mat Making –  Although this group had “less buyers than we expected” they still were able to buy some necessary medicine for a family member and better clothes for the children.

* Tailoring and Sewing – Nalu Prossy reports that these are “hard working people” – and it’s paid off! The group earned $26 in profit (after reinvesting in more cloth for future projects), which was enough to pay for school fees for their children last year.

Nalu Prossy, in the Christmas outfit she sewed for herself, with the camera from SIA.

Thank you to Nalu for her dedication in guiding each of these groups as they learn and grow into their new enterprises. I know that the regular encouragement from the coordinators is vital for the success of our Small Business Fund program! Soon, Nalu will be sending in the One-Year Report for each of these groups and I’ll try to remember to update you promptly this time.

A special thank you to the 3 donors who each donated $150 this month to start similar new businesses in 2013! Isn’t it amazing what can come from a small grant, a mentor, and dedication?

For more about the Small Business Fund, read the SBF FAQs.