Front Aid Foundation values the needs and contributions of women in society today. We are committed to the empowerment of women to enable them to be actively involved in decision-making processes for improved livelihoods.
The objective of this empowerment program is to provide education, employment assistance, health, and housing and support services to women who are in disadvantaged positions due to poverty, homelessness, and HIV/AIDS infection. Women will learn valuable business skills so that they become more active participants in community life and in the decisions that affect them.
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In collaboration with the government of Uganda, the Swedish Development Center came up with Co-save, which is a grassroots-based banking, loaning, and saving method for rural communities. FAF has partnered with these organizations to offer training to women in the villages we serve.
In Co-save, the women are able to save and to get small loans with little interest. A Co-save consists of 15–35 members who contribute to funds that will be used to grant loans to members of the group. The members meet regularly to give loans to those who need them and to receive money from those who are paying back their loan money.
Raising pigs is one of the income-generating enterprises the women engage in. Since our women live in rural villages, such a project is very practical and affordable. Pigs are easy to raise, and the demand for pork is high.
URF initially donated pigs to groups of women who took responsibility for caring for them. After a mother pig gives birth, the piglets are passed on to more women. For this reason, the project is self-sustaining.
The income generated from the sale of pigs could be used for paying school fees for children or taking care of other household needs.
The poultry project is available as an alternative for the Muslim women in the community, since they do not associate with pigs. Two groups of women started with 100 chickens each. The women feed the chickens as a group. The chicken house construction was a group effort as well. URF contributed funds for purchase of chickens and feed until the chickens began to lay eggs. After that point, the project became self-sustaining.
This program helps women earn needed income to support their families. For example, FAF partnered with Ten Thousand Villages, who trained our women to make baskets. The first group of women who received training then trained more women in the community. The baskets are sold through Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade group distributing crafts on a world market.
