You Believe You're Stuck

My name is Akao Juliet, I am a woman, 20 years old. When I met Ignite Change, I had already given birth. In my heart, there was something I wanted to do, but there was no way to reach it. Our mentor from Ignite Change took us through training. I now have many new ideas on how I can get out of poverty and develop by starting up a business. 

Before I met Ignite Change, I was not doing anything, I was only farming. I had trained as a tailor, but I did not have the items needed to start a tailoring business. After receiving training on development, my interest grew in starting my own business. Before, I had no idea how to get the items needed to start, I thought I had no way of getting money. 

After receiving advice from my mentor, I used the little money I had to rent a garden and plant soybeans back in March 2022. From the harvest in August, I got 3 sacks of soybeans and I sold them for 650,000 shillings ($176). Then I used that money to buy a sewing machine and other materials like threads and zippers to start my tailoring business. I rented a storefront on the road side where people could easily find me. 

Akao Juliet with her Income-Generating-Activity

Even after the training, Ignite Change continues to mentor us and give us advice. They even helped us start saving by giving us a savings box. Up to now, the members of our group are still saving together. 

At this time, I want to thank Ignite Change for changing the lives of girls like me. Let's say you have dropped out of school, your parents don’t have money. You believe you’re stuck. But through their good advice, I was able to start a business. So I want to thank them for that. I thank them also so much for continuing to bring good things to our community. Up to now, I am doing well. I have my own business. I can help my parents or siblings or my relative who is sick because I have enough money. I was able to leave where I was and now I have become someone who can stand strong by myself.

-Akao Juliet, Young Mother, 2022

Now I am a Powerful Woman

My name is Akao Janet and I am one of the young mothers in Adak.

Ignite Change trained us for 7 months with a lot of topics that changed our lives.

After graduating, Madam Colline (our mentor) came back and started mentoring us the alcohol users. In my case, I was a serious drunkard and alcohol brewer.

During the mentorship, I had two basins of peas (Aguka) in the house and then the mentor asked me if I could sell them off believing my life will change out of it.

When I started selling the peas, my mentor never left my side but kept on guiding me on what to do. I sold the two basins and got the profits of which I bought another sack. Form one sack, I bought 5 sacks. After selling 4 out of 5 bags, I have 700,000/= as an income. This changed my life and I took my mind from alcohol brewing/ drinking and now I am a powerful woman.

I can now pay my children’s fees, buy food items like salt, sugar, and soap, etc. I don't beg for anything from a man.

In two years to come, I want to get a weighing scale in front of my home and start buying from farmers in bulk and put the produce in trucks for big cities.

I would like to ask Ignite Change to extend this program to other people not stopping with us so that many can also become powerful like me.

Recognition to the organization for their support to change our lives.

I used to take marijuana, fight a lot...

My name is Kiza Charles and I am a residence of Kanyang-goga Village.

I came to know about Ignite Change through our leader who told us that the project manager of a nonprofit approached him and asked him to share about his fellow street boys. Our leader was highly terrified and could not easily open up to the project manager because he was afraid of being arrested. We were living in the bush because we were also afraid of the police. We would only come to the town during night hours to loot the houses of people, beat people to get enough to eat, and some even raped young ladies who were working during these late hours.

When he approached us, I was equally terrified but the project manager approached us, talked to us, and assured us of our safety and security. I then started developing trust and courage in him. He had taken a risk to visit us in the bush alone where we were hiding and talk to us from there. We had threatened to kill him if we are arrested but he persisted and kept on coming until we had total trust in him and the entire management of Ignite Change.

My life has totally changed and even my perception toward life. I used to take marijuana, fight a lot, take cocaine, and was a drunkard. But I now love God, fear God, love people, have learned how to farm, and can operate a business and save money for other investments and business expansion.

I am now doing my saloon business. My business is moving on very well and I have many customers which has enabled me to start saving four thousand shillings ($1.10) every day. I sleep in a good house, have enough to eat, and I can socialize freely and easily with the community members and my family members. I am now teaching other youth who are still doing evil things like marijuana, cocaine, alcoholism, raping among other things to stop and give their life to God.

I, therefore, would want to extend my appreciation to Nommy, Emily, and every hand who has given support to Ignite Change. May the almighty God bless you and the work of your hand.

With your help, last June we started a new initiative called the Paul Project. The main goal of this project was to help the current street boys completely change their lives – from Saul to Paul. We aspired for them to meet Jesus, rehabilitate their minds, work together, learn how to farm, start a business, and restore relationships with their families. Most members of the community doubted any project working with this group would succeed.

But through God all things are possible! Ten out of the initial twelve boys completed the project. They were supported with different businesses: selling second hands clothes, roasting sausages, smoking fish, having a mobile shop, music training, and opening a “saloon” (how they call the place where they cut people’s hair in Uganda). One of the boys even signed a contract with Ignite Change and is our newest employee!

Our Community Outreach Manager, Nommy, visited one of the members, Charles Kiza to find out how he is faring. Through the Paul Project, Charles met Jesus and turned his life around! His saloon is the community’s favorite because he does a great job shaving their hair. Many in the community now call him “Pastor Charles” because he is overflowing with the love of Christ. Beyond his profit, he is saving $1.10 a day – which is huge! Many in Uganda do not even earn that much money in a day.

Each and every boy who completed the project has an amazing story like this one. We will continue to share them in the upcoming months.

Starting in April, we will begin working with the next group of street boys. Last year, we identified 24 boys and only had the capability of helping 12 at that time. If you would like to partner with one of these boys by providing monthly support and praying over their lives to see their life drastically changed like Charles - please consider joining our family partnership program.

-Emily

I decided to change my life

My name is Oder Alii and I want to share about how my life has changed.
 
Before coming to this farming project with Ignite Change, I was working at a washing bay [washing vehicles, motorcycles, etc.]. Somedays, we would get customers and other days we wouldn’t get any. On a day where we had no customers, I would try and find casual work elsewhere. If I could find no work, there was a chance I wouldn’t eat that day. I would ask my friends to share what they had if they made any money that day, and sometimes they would share. I struggled so much with life. I did all of this just to survive. But that is how the world is.
 
Life was too hard. So I started smoking cigarettes and marijuana, doing cocaine, and drinking alcohol. When I took these drugs, my brain would not function properly. I would find myself doing unusual things that was not like me.

Then one day, one of my workmates ‘Ghetto Boy’ told me about an upcoming project. That I should show interest and see if I could be selected. I went and was chosen to be one of the members. This program is a very good one and it will surely change our lives. Things are moving on well. We are staying in a group and we are guaranteed that we will eat food every day.

From the training we’ve gone through, I decided to change my life. I’ve now left all the drugs and alcohol that I used to do. I gave my life to Christ. I accepted Jesus to be my personal Lord and Savior and I want to live a life that is worthy before Christ.
 
Now, that I have changed my life, everything is really nice. The future is bright. I am getting a lot from the group of beneficiaries and from the organization that is supporting us. I want others to change their life in the same way I have changed mine. I know the people that [were not selected in this group] have been doing what I was doing – taking drugs and alcohol. I want to tell them that I have escaped and left those things. That they should change and leave those things that I was doing with them. My life now is very good. I want to tell them, for me, that I have changed my life. I have changed everything – I am now doing a new thing. I want them to be like me and leave all the old things and begin doing new things. I am not going to go back to the life that I was living before.

-Alii

---

Alii is 1 of 11 boys participating in our new Paul Project. We have already seen changes in the boys' lives. Sometimes it a big change - like getting a new brother in Christ, Alii. Which we get to celebrate with them! Other times, its a smaller change - someone smiling that used to always have a frown. If you are interested in partnering with one of these boys and changing lives, please click here. We need 9 more partners for this project to be fully supported.

Thank you,
Emily Johns

New Groups - New Projects!

Thank you so much for your help in supporting Ignite Change. We hope you are doing ok in these turbulent times. All of us want to let you know how much we appreciate and value your partnership.

For most of you, on some sort of lockdown, life looks a lot different. You’re going out less. You have been working from home. Some of you are just getting back to work. And for those of you that are essential workers, we thank you for your hard work!

In Uganda, many people are out of work. Their small, roadside businesses are closed until further notice. People have used up all their savings – and most have spent all their business capital. Those in the village are more used to this life and are spending their time farming. But simple things like buying salt has become expensive and hard to find. Four of the businesses started by Ignite Change continue to operate during the lockdown. As the lockdown is lifted, more of our groups are getting back to work. Even though business has been slow, the group members are extremely thankful for the little money they are earning.

We are continuing to work on issues that are important to you. Including working with the most vulnerable populations. Currently, there are two populations in Kamdini doing far worse than others:

The street boys who rely on stealing fuel from oil tankers traveling through Uganda. In the past, the trucks frequently parked in town. They are no longer allowed to stop here because of the high risk of spreading COVID. The small money these boys used to earn is no longer there. They are getting desperate and turning to more extreme crimes. Many are taking the risk and secretly meeting with the truck drivers because they say “getting Corona is better than starving to death”.

The same truck drivers that used to park in Kamdini fueled the largest demand for sex workers in Uganda. Some of these women have recently come out publicly as a cry for help. They no longer want to do this work and need some small food to survive. They want a different life and a different future.

The stories you will hear in the coming weeks from these boys and ladies will bring you to tears. Our amazing team has been reaching out to these groups and building relationships and trust. Thanks to your support, we are able to provide an immediate physical need of foodstuff, masks, and soap. But we know, what they need most is to experience and know the love of Jesus. Our Savior doesn’t look at what they’ve done but who they are.

Plans are coming together to work with both of these groups. The boys will farm on our new land. They will be given housing, food, and other basic essentials. Plus, food to send home to their families. During these months of farming, we will go through our trainings and help them come up with business ideas. The profit earned from the sale of crops at the time of harvest will be used to launch their business!

The ladies will be trained in a craft skill, such as basket making. They will also be given housing, food, and other basic essentials. Trainings will be held weekly and the profit from selling their crafts will launch their new business!

Both groups will meet regularly for Bible Studies to learn more about their identity in the eyes of Christ.

They will be housed away from town to limit their ability to return to their old ways. And to ensure the safety of our team and the surrounding community.

These groups need your help. We will be facing higher expenses to house, feed, and provide additional staff for these groups. If you are able, please join the Family Partnership program to be partnered with one of the individuals and be part of changing their lives and their story forever! Or give a one-time donation to help us get started!