A Year in Review 2023
This update shows how Hope For Life Katanga serves families through our intentional family-centered programmes that wholistically aim to:
provide education to children,
equip young adults and parents with livelihood skills and knowledge, and
prevent ill-health.
These 3 objectives work together to empower families to independently afford the basic needs of life, which include but not limited to; safe and secure housing, substantive and nutritious food, healthcare, and further education, and to live fulfilled lives.
We started this year with a commitment to fulfil our Strategic Plan, focusing on 3 key priorities in the process:
becoming more sustainable as an organisation
improving our monitoring & evaluation
investing in resource capacity across the team.
👉 Read more about our progress on our strategic priorities
I am happy to report that the great milestones of 2023 were due to the team’s candid reflections, reviews and intentional focus on achieving the organisation objectives and key priorities.
Alongside this work, we continued to keenly focus on different strategies that could be implemented to ensure that the families we serve are greatly impacted. I am grateful to submit that there have been many achievements reached and success stories attained. I’m pleased to share these with you in the rest of this update.
I take this opportunity to thank our donors and partners who provide invaluable support towards the success of our programs. I express great gratitude to my colleagues for their work and support, and the Trustees and Directors for their guidance and commitment throughout the year.
From Dorcus (Programs Manager) and all at Hope for Life Katanga.
How Your Support Has Changed Lives in Uganda
Providing Education
We provide education to improve their future potential of earning a sustainable income.
During the year we have continued to provide sponsorship for 53 children aged 5-15, 35 in primary and 18 secondary school. All children have made significant progress through the year in their academic performance, behaviour, self-awareness and confidence. 4 children (D, M, H, P) completed their Primary Leavers Exams and were promoted to the first year of secondary school starting January 2024. We didn’t have any students in S.4. so there were no secondary graduates this year.
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Improved Performance | We have seen significant improvement for most children since the pandemic. Through 1-2-1 follow ups and counselling, we have helped the children (especially teenagers) improve their academic performance.
Improved Self-Awareness & Confidence | We have more children entering puberty, which often causes children to become reserved, lacking an ability to express themselves and interact socially. A lack of confidence also affects their academic performance. We have run multiple group and individual sessions to empower children to be aware of their growth changes and express themselves.
Resolved Conflicts & Restored Relationships | As children transition to adolescents, we often see strained relationships between parents, children and teachers. There are a few examples where our team have helped to mediate conflicts.
Improved Behaviour and Character Development | Some children have become more rebellious in school and in the wider community, joining up with others to cause disruption the community. We have worked with a few children specifically, working alongside the Local Council in Katanga to see children overcome certain challenges in their lives. We end the year with all the children fully attending school and having healthy relationships with their families, community and school.
Uganda-Wide Family Visits | Following the pandemic, many families moved to more rural villages across Uganda. Family visits are important to recognise the wholistic needs and opportunities for each family. All the families are overjoyed when we are able to visit in their villages, this encouragement directly impacts their work rate and performance.
Completion of Primary Leavers Examinations | 4 students successful completed their primary exams. Some of the students did not have birth certificates, which are essential for registering for exams. We helped to process birth certificates for each in the lead up to their exams.
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Extra Coaching Classes | Some children struggling with performance would benefit from after school classes but we have not had spare funds to pay for these.
School Study Tours | Schools run trips for students, which are often unaffordable extras for parents. Previously we have made extra funds available for these but haven’t been able to this year due to increased inflation in Uganda and unstable exchange rate.
Parents Mismanage School Fees | A few parents have occasionally spent fees investing in their business. Where this happens, we step in to pay the school directly. Our intention is for parents to take responsibility for their child’s education (so HFL paying the school directly is not our preference). This challenge highlights the very real struggle facing families after the pandemic depleted savings and disrupted businesses.
Lack of Food | Most children are fed poorly and end up with poor health, which then effects their school attendance and performance.
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We will continue providing opportunities for 53 students to attend primary and secondary school.
We have developed our monitoring & evaluation during the last 12 months, allowing us to analyse students grades, identifying which students need help in particular subjects.
Our budget does not allow sufficient additional spending to address some of the challenges faced in 2023 (above).
We have made minimal funds available for our education officer to spend in the places they are most needed. These are most likely to continue running workshops for children on character development, behaviour management, self-esteem and sexual health.
Meet Zaina
Equipping Young Adults & Parents
We empower the young women (aged 15-25) with life skills and vocational skills, restore their hope for a better future/life that had been shuttered due to abuse, violence and having dropped out of school as a result of poverty.
This year we have worked with 32 young women, providing opportunities in vocational training, while addressing the challenges these girls face so as to help them develop social skill, build confidence and improve employability. 12 women have completed our in-house training, 10 women have completed their 2 year training, 6 of which have received business start-up packages (stories below).
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12 young women completed our in-house training, preparing them to join formal vocational training. Students received counselling to rebuild confidence, classes to develop their soft & social skills, as well as literacy and numeracy. These sessions included opportunity to build their spiritual lives. Hairdressing is taught alongside these sessions to provide the basics of the skill alongside classes on managing a business.
20 women were sponsored into vocational training (courses include hairdressing, fashion & design, nursery teaching, nursing). 10 have completed their first year, while 10 have completed their second year and are ready to start earning an income for themselves and their family.
On graduating, 6 women have been granted a business start-up package (e.g. sewing machine, saloon equipment) to help them become self-employed or expand existing enterprises.
2 young men continue to attend apprenticeships in mechanics with local garages and we continue supporting young women gaining a Bachalors degree in Secretarial Studies.
Over the year, we have walked alongside these young adults through different character struggles (e.g. anger management), poor time keeping, and teamwork skills, for example. We have witnessed great transformation in their lives once these struggles are addressed.
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The students have found it difficult to afford the necessary requirements for the courses. (Increased inflation and poor exchange rate forced us to reduce the amount we give to vocational students each term by 20%. These fees are 95% funded by unrestricted donations).
Some aren’t able to afford enough food. This is particularly important for those with HIV and other illnesses that require the individual to eat well.
Health problems have effected individuals ability to work at different periods in the year. Financial restraints prevent individuals from affording the necessary medication.
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We will continue providing vocational opportunities to those still on the programme and an additional 10 new students in January 2024.
We will increase the termly tuition fees by 12%. We would ideally like to increase these by 25% but this is dependent on if we receive new supporters.
We will continue providing food in our in-house training sessions.
We have made minimal funds available for the project manager to spend in the places most needed through the year.
Meet Rhoda
Preventing Ill-Health
Good health is vital to keep children in education and parents in employment. We provide health education, guidance and provide health related funding opportunities for those we work with in Katanga.
This year we have led workshops for parents and children to highlight the importance of hygiene and good nutrition. We have been able to provide health funding to one of the parents and food packages for those in particular need.
Throughout the year we have provided sexual health education for the young women we work with especially. We finished the year providing sexual and menstrual health training for children starting puberty, distributing reusable sanitary towels and underwear.
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Improved Personal Hygiene | We have equipped our children and guardians with knowledge and skills of maintaining their bodies and surroundings clean using available and affordable means. We’ve mainly provided education through termly meetings and home visitations. The teachers have noticed and commended the hygiene improvement throughout the year.
Provided Medical Assistance | We’ve assisted some parents and children that have become sick in the year to receive treatment, which they could not afford. We have provided funding for one parent to receive regular medication for a chronic condition. She has really improved with this medication but is unlikely to recover to full health.
Provided Food | We have been able to support a few families and individuals with additional food packages during periods of sickness, to help in their recovery.
Conducted Sexual & Menstrual Health Training | Children entering puberty received these trainings, equipping them with knowledge and skills to practice healthy life style choices and make informed decisions while growing up.
Distributed Reusable Sanitary Towels | Disposable sanitary products are relatively expensive. Reusable towels were provided to girls and young women to improve comfort and hygiene in their menstrual cycle. Boys were also given underwear for comfort and hygiene.
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Many families struggle with various injuries and ailments, affecting their ability to work and care for their families.
Children are often effected by stomach worms, reducing their concentration levels and performance in school.
Drug abuse and addiction has risen since the pandemic as many parents lost their source of income, spent savings and lack a sense of hope for the future.
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We will provide deworming tablets to those we work with a couple times a year to improve health and performance in school.
If funds allow, we would like to provide group counselling sessions (through a trained counsellor) for some of those with the beginnings of drug and alcohol addiction.
A small budget has been made available for the project manager to spend on low cost health initiatives through the year, although they won’t be enough to fund the addiction counselling and any health funding families may need through the year.
Our health work will mostly consist of health & hygiene education for children and guardians.
Meet Serena
Hear Serena’s story from the video below and read more about how a new sewing machine has improved Serena’s health.
Stories to Celebrate
Our work provides individuals with opportunities in education and vocational training so that they can be in a better position to earn an income and become self-reliant. We celebrate the success of all those we work with, whether in primary school, where students improve in subjects and refine their character, or those who have completed their vocational training and are now not only earning an income but are also providing employment to others. All those we work with are on parallel journeys towards a brighter future for themselves and their families. We are fortunate to play a part and walk alongside each of them on this journey.
Racheal
Racheal has made good progress in school since joining HFL in 2017. Her father was keen to provide Racheal with education and improved opportunities in the future.
Before starting school, Racheal was being taught in our catch-up classes in Katanga, the basics in literacy, numeracy, English, reading and writing. Her progress in the catch-up class enabled her to pass the school’s entrance interview.
Rachael is a bright girl and performs well in most subjects, her grades improving each term. Like most of us, Racheal struggles with Maths and could benefit from extra evening classes.
Racheal is a kind child and well disciplined, setting a good example in her community. She is friendly and social, lots of friends are attracted by her good nature.
Whilst at school, we have been walking alongside Racheal and her family, providing counselling and follow ups, to ensure she keeps up her attendance at school and to continually improve her relationships with family and friends.
We are thankful to our supporters for creating opportunities for girls like Racheal.
Saida
Saida (18), joined our in-house skills training in 2019 before starting an apprenticeship in Fashion & Design in a local shopping centre. She completed the training in 2022, after being interrupted due to the pandemic.
Saida’s parents past away when she was a baby. She was then bought up by her grandmother, who was able to provide her with primary schooling. Later in life, an Aunt (who benefits from HFL programmes) offered to bring Saida to Kampala, and apply for sponsorship in vocational training.
For the last year, Saida has been working for someone seasonally (in the lead up to each school term), making school uniforms. This job has generated some income but she has been renting a machine for the job, which means her profits are not as high as she’d like.
We bought Saida a new machine recently, enabling her to take home more of the money she makes tailoring clothes.
Saida is grateful to HFL supporters for giving her a stepping stone, saying that, ‘for someone who did not know how to sustain myself, I now have a vision’.
Josephine
Josephine was bought up by her mother following the passing of her father when she was nine. She came from a humble family background, where the family livelihood derived from subsistence farming.
Josephine has had sickle cell disease since childhood, still struggling today with occasional pain and being vulnerable to infections.
After dropping out of school in S.4. Josephine sought an opportunity for further education and joined HFL in 2021. We provided Josephine with sponsorship to pursue her dream of becoming a Nurse. She completed her training, obtaining a certificate in June 2023.
In July, Josephine started volunteering in a sickle cell clinic with an allowance. She is in the final stages of registering with the Uganda Council of Nurses and Midwifes. Once she has, she can get her practitioner certificate and gain formal employment.
Josephine has learned to manage her condition and with this knowledge she hopes to support others with sickle cell, especially children. She plans to sensitise communities, reduce stigma, and teach others how to care for people with the disease.
She is very thankful for the opportunity to bring hope to many people battling the same condition as her.
Justine
Justine moved to Kampala after dropping out of school due to low income. We provided sponsorship for Justine to join YMCA institute in 2018, studying Hairdressing & Cosmetology.
After attaining her certificate, Justine worked with various salons, until she felt confident enough to start up her own salon business, using the money she had been saving. Her business employs two other young ladies in her salon, whose lives have also been improved because of the opportunity to earn a living. She plans to expand her business, opening up other outlets in the near future.
She is able to rent a house for herself, fully support her young sister, paying her school tuition, while also sending financial assistance to her father to help him take care of the other six siblings.
Justine is thankful for the opportunity HFL gave her through this programme.
A BIG THANK YOU
Thank you for your support during 2023. By donating, you are helping to create more opportunities for children, young adults and guardians in Uganda to earn an income, afford the basic needs and live fulfilled lives. These stories are just a few from the 88 we provide direct sponsorship for and the many more in the community that we are able to work with through the year.
Alongside celebrating the successes, we also take pause at this time of year, to think how we can best serve those we work with in 2024. There are no doubt significant challenges for families following the pandemic (we have listed a few in the ‘challenges’ for each programme above).
Highlighted below are the four key areas we are fundraising for in 2023 to address these challenges. Whether by donating monthly, increasing an existing donation, or by giving a one off gift, we would really appreciate your support. It means a lot to us and all those we work with in Katanga, Uganda.
You can donate via bank transfer or standing order to Hope for Life Katanga | Account Number: 34298768 Sort Code: 30-18-88. Or you can donate by card through one of the links below.
You support really changes lives. Anything you can give towards these initiatives would be gratefully appreciated.
School Sponsorship
Poor exchange rates and increasing inflation has put pressure on the amount of fees we are able to give families each term. We are seeking to raise an additional £1,500 to increase school fees for 22 secondary school students in 2024.
Vocational Training
We hope to provide vocational training for 10 more in 2024. £30/month is enough to give one young woman the opportunity to gain a skill and earn an income.
Deworming Medication
Treating parasitic worms is important for children to absorb nutrients required for good health. A pack of tablets costs £2.30/person. £410 would be enough to provide treatment for 88 students twice a year.
Addiction Counselling
Drug and substance abuse has seen an uprise among families we work with following lose of work and spending savings during covid. Professional group therapy for addiction costs £952 for 4 months. This treatment is important for those with addiction but vital for the children in their care.