Grant funds were sent to 28 grassroots organizations in December and January, kicking off another year of community action by Spirit in Action Grant Partners in Eastern Africa! Programs are underway, and there are already wins to celebrate.
Here are 5 recent moments of joy from SIA Grant Partners:
1. 7th-Grade Graduates
CAP-AIDS Uganda
Seventh grade is the most important school year in Uganda. It's when students take the exams that determine if they can continue to high school. Last year, in partnership with the Charles Wentz Carter Memorial Foundation, SIA funded 70 students to go to 7th grade and take their exams. The results are in! 52 of the 70 students passed their exams, and two received a top grade despite many challenges in their daily lives. Ogwal Lawrence used to miss school because he needed to work tending animals to make money for school fees. SIA covered his second-term fees and the cost of boarding, which meant Lawrence could focus on studying full-time. As a result of his hard work, he earned his first 1 (the top grade) in his life! Well done to all the students who passed!
2. In the pineapple field
Kakuuto Development Initiative (KADI) - Uganda
How it started... (November 2022)
How it's going... (February 2024)
The first pineapples are harvested from KADI's communal farm in central Uganda! The fruit takes 12-18 months to grow, and each plant only grows one pineapple. So far this season, they have harvested over 200 pineapples, which they sell to buyers in the next big town.
3. "Let's help each other"
Circle of Specialized Educators, Friends of the Disabled Person (CESAPH) - Burundi
To physically embody the name of their new project - Dutenzanyimbere (Let's help each other) - CESAPH did an icebreaker with a string to show the members of the savings circle (women and disabled people) that they are stronger together. Cedrick told me, "The string spider web refers to the Ethiopian proverb that says a three-spider web can catch a lion. The game shows that they can reach their goals when they work together. Some participants were instructed to drop the string to show that if some people withdraw from the savings circle, the cooperative loses strength and might collapse." The SIA Grant helps CESAPH establish this new savings circle and train its members in entrepreneurial skills.
4. A celebration of savings
Visionary Women's Centre (VWC) - Kenya
The members of the Visionary Women's Centre have been saving little bits of money in their clay pots all year, saving between $5-40. This week, they broke them open to invest what they have saved! The women plan to spend their savings on larger purchases (a sheep, a pig, paying off school fees) or small necessities (a new kettle, a rooster, or a thermos). In addition to the items purchased, the women also carry themselves with a new level of confidence and receive respect from family members for what they contribute to the household. Pictured above are the women receiving their new pots for the year, balancing them on their heads in a playful moment.
5. Award-Winning Grant Partners
Great Lakes Peace Center (GLPC) - Uganda
We are proud to celebrate with Faruk Kibaba, Founder and Executive Director of SIA partner Great Lakes Peace Center, Uganda, for receiving the 2024 Granco-German Peace and Reconciliation Award! This award, given by the French & German Ambassadors in Uganda, recognizes Faruku's contributions to promoting peace and reconciliation in the Kasese region, where GLPC does peace-building and conflict resolution through youth and women empowerment. Spirit in Action's grants have supported 75 people in the GLPC community to raise goats and develop economic security.