grant awarded to Women’s Global Empowerment Fund (WGEF)
The Foundation is pleased to continue its support of WGEF. The mission of Women’s Global Empowerment Fund is to provide women with the framework necessary to create viable opportunities for themselves and their families. Through grassroots strategies, marginalized women are given the tools necessary to alleviate poverty, thus facilitating sustainable development and empowerment.
The funds will be used in 4 of their programs:
-Credit Plus, loan program, for approximately 225 women (loans and training). Women’s Global Credit Plus program combines microcredit services with literacy, leadership development, health initiatives and basic business education into a single service, reaching women in underserved, rural and peri-rural areas. This integrated approach has been proven to alleviate poverty and empower women.
-Healthy Periods Initiative: for supplies and materials. To address the issues around menstrual health, and the challenges women and girls face with regards to access and education, WGEF is continuing and expanding the Healthy Periods Initiative, creating local manufacturing centers in vulnerable regions. Their first expansion center in Lwengo District, opened last year in southwestern Uganda. By producing products locally, they aim to create local economies; providing resources and economic opportunities to women and communities thru manufacturing and microenterprise. This will enable a grassroots, sustainable, and impactful process.
-Literacy 2020: WGEF, in consult with the Ministry of Education, has developed a literacy program that is effective and responsive to the needs of their clients. The adult literacy program is not merely about basic skills of reading and writing, it is about providing women with the ability to understand their lives and social environment as well as equipping them with problem-solving skills, family planning, nutrition and parenting information and resources.
-Community conversations, leadership development and celebrations. Each year at Gulu Women’s Resource Centre (GWRC), a WGEF project, they host meaningful and lively discussions and conferences around topics chosen by the leadership council. In 2019, they hosted a conference called Celebrating the Day of the African Child: Human Rights in Action. The day focused on the issues of child marriage the launch of the girls decide campaign. Over 300 leaders, officials and citizens were in attendance. In 2020, they will again host a graduation again for literacy participants who complete their training and pass thru the examination process. Also, they are planning an event around reproductive health care, including reducing teen pregnancy, access and information.