Tag: Uganda

Global Human trafficking

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Would you help Andy by donating one dollar to the Andy Fund? For less than a coffee at your local cafe.. you could help Andy pack his bags and be on his way to a brighter future !

It may be hard to believe that human trafficking takes place every day around the globe..  Men, woman, and children are sold as property to perform the desires of the buyer.. Often times it is to pay off debts, or by being trapped into a scheme offering a great opportunity. Although we must speak out against this horrific act no matter where we live, I will be addressing the issue of Uganda.

1464510137993I have known Andy since he was 14 years old. Our friendship has been one of trying and failing.. but we  keep pushing on. The lack of jobs in Uganda for young adults effects both sides of the fence,uneducated laborers like Andy, and those with a degree. A high number of college graduates are working in UAE as maids, and common laborers.

The lack of job opportunities has caused Saudi Arabia to become a way out for young workers, especially woman who are enticed to become maids. Uganda signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia in 2015 to send Ugandans to the Middle East in an effort to counter the high unemployment rates. However, this was rescinded after reports of women being abused during their stay. This caused a ban on hiring Ugandans in 2016 by Wilson Muruli Mukasa, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development. Men and woman out of desperation still continue to sign themselves over to recruiters to be placed into a job of their dreams.. There are a number of agency’s who are registered with the government who place them with legitimate jobs, but many fall prey to shady practices.

The TIP has stated that Saudi Arabia is a destination country for Ugandan trafficking victims. For this reason, Uganda signed the agreement with Saudi Arabia to minimize the many Ugandans trafficked there. However the government did not enforce a stronger effort to monitor the recruitment agency’s. The government does not have the resources to screen all the advertisements promising a great job for a fee.. There have been countless reports of abuse, as well as workers not receiving any pay. Despite these reports there has been little prosecution of those exploiting and trafficking persons. As a warning, agency’s have been known to outsource to Oman once you reach UAE, leaving you forced to pay off your travel and housing debt. Many in Oman purchase a maid from Uganda through recruiters, and your treatment depends upon the employer. Some employers to avoid being caught, do not allow employees to use the internet,cell phones, or have contact with family members. There have been reports of maids being subject to their employer, working long hours and suffering sexual abuse. If a Ugandan can manage to contact someone and tell their plight,there is a chance of returning home. Many woman are still waiting to be rescued from their dream job. Because of efforts from the Ugandan government and other humanitarian agency’s, there has been a decline in the number of TIP’s from Uganda.

The need for laborers in the UAE  has led the government to allow Ugandans to be outsourced through contracts, lifting the previous ban. If you are in desperate need of work, you must ask the recruitment agency for their registration number, and search their reputation. There are good people just running a business like anyone else, trying to make a living, but also those waiting to take advantage of the desperate. You must ask yourself, if you would be better off paying someone to make your life miserable, or staying where you are and hope to afford a registered employment recruiter.

I am trying to raise funds to send Andy to a registered recruiter, so if you have one dollar to spare.. we would truly appreciate it. This will be a way out of poverty for Andy who can be hired as a laborer in Dubai. He would like to join his friends who have contracted with Dubai, and have sent back good reports of their employment there.

Please share this need with your friends!  Thank you so much 🙂

Mary @ Pennies For Dreams

When people join hands.. lives are changed~

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Exif_JPEG_420  People will advise, if you travel to a poor country, don’t be seen giving a hand out or others will follow you around “begging”.  It must be difficult to turn your head and ignore their need..

My friendship with Andy for the last 10 years has had its share of rewards, and heartaches.. From thousands of miles away, with his letters typed in broken English, I have been able to paint a picture of life in Tororo Uganda. His late Grand Mother was a Christian, who sent him to school and taught him English, but after she passed away he could no longer find tuition, so at 24-years old, he still lacks a diploma. Consider the trillions of dollars spent funding war, while people are starving and oppressed, with limited opportunity to help themselves. The president of the United States, has cut aid to Uganda, for their refusal to change laws held on abortion and homosexuality, this leaves private humanitarian aid to join together. I am truly thankful for the few who gathered with me last year, to enable Andy to buy some chicks.. I had read of so many in Uganda selling eggs to make a living, and I couldn’t get the urge out of my heart to try it. Although he didn’t end up with a big chicken franchise, it gives him eggs to eat!

1464510137993Recently he was offered the opportunity to learn auto mechanics, this is something he has been waiting for.. A dear friend gave the shillings he would need to pay for lessons. I am now saving for a used tool set, so he can one day use his training for self employment. Here a little, there a little, in the end it avails so much for someone who has survived many years on barter and trade.. Andy is not only thankful, but overjoyed, to be learning a trade, and has great potential to change his life for the better 🙂

Teaching A Man To Fish

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fisherman-1149682_1280 Many have heard the old quote, Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, teach a  man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

After doing research on humanitarian aid efforts in Uganda and India, I discovered there are many ways to end poverty, if only a man or woman, is given half a chance. 

One such project in Africa, is enabling family’s to raise Kuroiler, a hybrid chicken from India. It sounds like an answer to hunger, you not only have eggs or meat for the family, but you sell the  excess to the locals. Through micro loans the grantee is able to buy starter chicks, and the vaccinations needed, if they are fortunate enough to find an agency to assist them. 

 My friend Andy, lives in Uganda, and could not seem to find assistance to become self sustainable through farming or agriculture,despite the multiple efforts put forth by various charity’s. When I learned that Kuroiler chicks are about a dollar each, I sent Andy the money to buy them. After seeing the success of others, I was counting his chickens before they hatched! 

Andy had no training to raise chickens, that others received through various programs, and it wasn’t long before he started loosing chicks. I tried to help him by sending information I had found, but he didn’t have the money to set up an ideal environment for the chicks. Constant stable temperature, high protein chick mash, and vaccines to prevent respiratory diseases, seemed to be the answer for success. To make matters worse he found the chick mash he was buying was tainted, which is common in Uganda, they use maze that is molded, or fillers that are low in nutrition. I found that many in Africa are making their own chicken feed, and keeping their Kuroiler’s disease free organically, using Aloe Vera, and Cayenne Pepper, since chickens do not have a ” heat sensor”  like we do, Cayenne doesn’t effect them. Thankfully with some food changes, and some medication, Andy was able to save at least half of the chicks he invested in.

I have learned that some things can be done by a leap of faith, or trial and error, but chicken farming is not one of them. It is my hope that with help from others Andy can one day earn a living by selling eggs to local markets.

Meet Andy Of Uganda

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I have known Andy since 2006, his parents died young, this is common in Africa.

If you are a young orphan you can be placed in a home, but at 14 you are left to your own demise. With no money for tuition, Andy has grade school education, which put’s him in the unskilled laborer category, In his village labor jobs are hard to come by.

Andy has survived through the kindness of others, they take him in as he offers to help them with chores, or taking care of children. Andy is happy to do this,since it means he won’t live on the streets,or go days without food. At times he must move on, when someone dies, or can no longer keep him. He now stays with Wasike, and helps with the children, but needs a room of his own.

I have contacted countless charity’s in Uganda that offer a helping hand to start a business, or a profitable craft to become self sustaining with no avail, none could help Andy. After seeing others being successful at chicken farming, I saved the money to get him some baby chicks, and found that he is willing to try anything to make a better life!

With the money I have sent, Andy bought chicks, and a solar kit.

Through trial and error he has tried to keep them healthy, and await egg production.He could have better results, with funding to buy what is required to have a successful chicken farm, so at this point it is in phase one, but Andy has shown great effort.

If the chickens generate enough income, Andy could save the tuition for training school, this would provide a better living. He would like to attend mechanics training one day.

Andy needs us to join hands and help him buy the materials for two rooms,this means bricks, tin, and mortar, so that he will have a place of his own to stay.
Andy also needs an outside chicken coup, he planned to give one room of the house to the chickens, but I do not feel this is a good idea, so please help me change his mind! 🙂

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Welcome to your new home!                  


 

 

Starter chicks eat a lot! at this phase it costs the most..until they can give back your egg- vestment!

1464510137993                                                                               ** Update** Still going strong, and giving back! 🙂

Meet Wasike of Uganda

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   Wasike has taken in orphans for many years, and has a great heart for those who live on the streets. He works as a cleaner in his village, this is his only income to care for them.

Some of the children were given to Wasike years ago,through the city council,others have been taken from the streets.Tensely,a three-year old boy was given to him by an old woman,since his parents had died of HIV, and she could not care for him. the children have been orphaned or abandoned. Wasike’s heart to take in children from the street, saves them from child labor, gang relations, and prostitution. He loves the children,yet struggles to make ends meet,there are no welfare programs available in Uganda.

It is his dream to have a larger home for the children, as more rooms could be built, the older boy’s sleep in a shed on the property since the house is not big enough. they could also truly use clothing ,and school books. your much-needed donation can help a struggling family.

No gift is to small, and appreciated. 

  • Together we can help fund the building of rooms for the children.
  • provide solar lighting for the home.
  • Provide a supplement for the children’s basic needs.

                                           ~Meet the beautiful children~

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Wasike is starting to build more rooms.. He needs our help to buy materials

Please consider a donation to help this family move forward..