12 October 2016: Carol Davis and Debbie Wheeler - Outreach Uganda
Present: Bart, Beatrice, Carol Davis, Debbie, Dietrich, JD, Janet, Joe, Joan, Lambert, Louise, Lucille, President Sue, Walter
- Club Business: Janet in talks with Ed Fox re phone book. Ed advises no need at this point to return checks. Stay tuned for a proposed solution.
- Sign-up sheet for Senior Turkey dinner on was passed around. We need volunteers for setting up, serving etc. Please let President Sue know.
- October 28th Friends of Scituate Seniors Trivia Night at St. Mary’s
- December 6 Christmas Party Cardinal Cushing School (an opportunity to invite Interact and their parents!)
- November 17, Rotary Foundation Dinner at Venus de Milo.
Presentation: Debbie Wheeler introduced her sister Carol Davies, President of OUTREACH UGANDA to speak about the project:
Outreach Uganda is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping empower Ugandans, especially women and children, to overcome poverty. The project works with village groups in Jinja, Kitgum and Agwata to bring hope and improve lives, especially in the areas of income-generation and micro-credit including the raising of cash crops; education and training, and other holistic endeavors especially in the areas of health, water and spiritual development.
The program empowers women to form themselves into a CBO (community-based organization) group which is the Ugandan equivalent of a localized nonprofit organization. This allows the group to develop its leadership and to become responsible for the group’s activities and development. Outreach Uganda provides marketing for each beader group’s craft products so that the group begins to have a regular source of income both for the individual beaders within the group and for the group itself.
The accomplishments of the project since inception in 2007 includes:
- Establishment of 3 village community groups which includes over 200 children
- Over $1,000,000 of paper beads and other crafts sold since inception
- Sponsored leadership and business training, English and literacy courses, computer training, bead-making classes, and tailoring instruction
- Instituted internal revolving micro-loan fund for our 3 beader groups
- Formed HIV/Aids support group
- Established scholarship program for specially selected high achieving beaders’ children to attend vocational school/university
The 5-year plan includes:
- The building of 2 more class blocks at the school
- Building 50 homes for women presently living in the slum area of Jinja
- Expanding the clinic in Agwata
- Expanding the cash crop Agricultural Program
- Expanding the Girl’s Education Program to nearby schools
In case of further questions regarding the Outreach Uganda Project visit their website at https://outreachuganda.org/ or contact Outreach Uganda President Carol Davies at carol@outreachuganda.org or her sister, Rotarian Debbie Wheeler at wheeled727@msn.com
Dietrich Bilger, Club Secretary
