In a survey of Girls' School parents, URDT found that most had land, but didn't know how to fully utilize it for income generation. Most of the families grow crops for subsistence only. Through the Back-Home Projects and Parents Workshops, the parents of Girls' School students received training in business skills, wealth creation and creative visioning. The Microcredit Fund will be the intervention to help these families implement the plans they have begun to design for getting out of poverty.
Microcredit Fund
In May 2006, URDT will launch a Microcredit Fund to provide microloans to parents and guardians of Girls' School students. The fund is designed to help these rural farming families generate more income and improve their standard of living. The goal is that the Girls' School students will be the last generation in poverty in their families.
Parents will be mobilized into groups, the members of which will be accountable to one another for credit repayment. URDT will provide training in business skills such as savings and financial management. URDT will also provide families with ongoing counseling on the planning and implementation of their projects.
We are currently seeking additional funding and technical assistance for the Microcredit Fund. For more details, please contact us at mmusheshe@africaonline.co.ug.
Learn more about the microbusinesses that URDT has already supported, including the Kagadi Women Finance Services Limited, a local microfinance institution that now serves over 1,800 savers and 1,000 borrowers.
Learn more about these programmes:
Appropriate Technologies
Human Rights
ICTs/Computer
KKCR Radio
Land Rights
Sustainable Agriculture/Demo Farm