Provide Vocational Training for 10 Ugandan Women

Greetings from Gulu,

     As we enjoy our sunny ninety-degree days of summer, we worry about our friends who are enduring such freezing temperatures! We hope you are staying warm. Uganda, with its climate, people, wildlife, and vegetation, absolutely is "The Pearl of Africa"!

     Our update this quarter is not an easy one to write. One of our amazing beneficiaries and loan recipients was recently hospitalized with severe head trauma and other injuries. Village culture is sometimes difficult to understand as a foreigner, and this was an extreme example. Our artisan was beaten by her brother for refusing to give him her earnings from the business she started with her micro-finance loan. Unfortunately, he was within his village's rights to do so. Thankfully, she has been released from the hospital and is now recovering at home, but her injuries will take time to heal. We continue to support her through this difficult time and have relocated her for her safety.

     I am sharing this story to illustrate how important our programs are to the women in the areas where we operate. For many, our programs and loans are the only opportunity they have to change their situation and avoid constant exposure to violence in their lives and the lives of their children. This is not our first encounter with domestic violence, and many of our recipients credit the skills they have learned through The Ribe Project for allowing them to improve their own situations. 

     We will continue to assist women in need here in Uganda, despite this setback. We are certain that overall, we are providing opportunities for local women to find independence and empowerment by following their dreams with our economic support through our micro-finance loans. Your support is more important now than ever. We hope you will continue to assist us in creating positive change!

Brett Krieble