Lochrutton SWI members hear about a charitable organisation helping women and girls in Uganda

Daily Record

2 days ago

Rachel Lyagoba set up Educate and Empower Uganda after a visit to the country where she saw the poverty first hand.
At their April meeting, members of Lochrutton SWI heard from Rachel Lyagoba and the amazing story of how a charitable organisation was set up, almost by chance, after visiting her husband's home town of Masese on the edge of Lake Victoria in Uganda.
Rachel went to the slums there and found many poor families with little or no chance of bettering themselves. She was moved by one family in particular. There were nine in the family, the mother had died and the father was trying to manage on his own.
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On returning to Dumfries, Rachel felt she needed to do something to help that family. But what? She came to the conclusion that education was the key and so, with help of her family, Educate and Empower Uganda, began to take shape.
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Rachel and her family raised enough money to sponsor a little girl from that Ugandan family, to go to school. Then at a Dumfries fundraising coffee morning, she discovered that more people were wanting to be sponsors – the expansion had begun.
Rachel then turned her attention to the local women of Masese. Often they would be abandoned and left with their children and she wondered how they could be helped. Making something useful would let the women be more self-sufficient and better able to feed and clothe their families – and so began another fundraising project. Money raised provided a business start up and paid for sewing machines, instruction, fabric and thread.
Incredibly, there are now 30 children at school and 20 women working.
After the talk, beautiful items were on sale from another group of such women and the money will be taken back to Uganda.
Johanna thanked Rachel for the marvellous talk and also to the members for buying some of the African goods.
Competition results
Easter biscuit – 1 Anita Gilmour; 2 Anthea Russell; 3 Jean Davidson; 4 Joy Taylor.
Interesting coin – 1 Joy Taylor; 2 Jan Renwick; 3 Morag; 4 Anita Gilmour.