A Busy Saturday in Buyobo

Had you been an onlooker outside the WMI offices this past Saturday in Buyobo, you would have witnessed long lines of eager women stretching many yards, smartly dressed health workers sanitizing equipment at 8:30 am sharp, and an energetic speaker guiding community members around local gardens, planting seeds.

Lines of women waiting for cancer screenings in Buyobo

The enriching events this past Saturday were the fruit of two new partnerships between local organizations and WMI: Trees for the Future, an organization that empowers rural communities to protect their environments and preserve traditional livelihoods through tree planting, and RAIN Uganda, whose mission is providing education and health resources to villages throughout the area.

Mathius Lukwago, the Trees for the Future representative that came to Buyobo, gave an informative presentation on the importance of protecting tree cover and taking care of the local environment. He spoke about the dangers of cutting trees, how to plant trees, and how to make a nursery bed. His interactive presentation to an audience of 100 women was met with much curiosity and enthusiasm by the Buyobo community. After the presentation, Mathius demonstrated how to make a nursery bed and planted several types of seeds behind the WMI offices. He gave every woman in the audience a handful of seeds to plant at their homes.

Instruction from Trees for the Future on how to make a nursery bed

Buyobo was also very excited to welcome RAIN Uganda back to our community (for a intro to RAIN Uganda, see the blog post from April 20) — so excited, in fact, that 300 women showed up to receive the services they were offering. This time RAIN Uganda brought midwives and health technicians to provide cervical cancer screenings and HIV testing at no cost to our community members. Our visitors worked tirelessly from 9 am to 4 pm to screen a total of 130 women. For those who came but did not get a chance to be screened, we look forward to welcoming RAIN Uganda back for a second weekend of screenings May 11.

RAIN Uganda completing HIV/AIDS testing

The women received results within minutes for both the cervical cancer screenings and HIV tests. Many women expressed relief — stating that they had come to the event expecting to test positive, and were surprised and reassured to receive negative results. All expressed gratitude for the services offered, asserting that difficulty of access and fear of high costs had prohibited them from visiting health centers for testing in the past.

A very heartfelt thank-you to our visitors for enriching our soil and attending to our health.

WMI 1st Annual Conference

From as far south as Kabale, to as far north as Atiak, leaders of all seven of WMI’s Ugandan loan hubs streamed into the eastern town of Mbale this past Thursday evening. The impetus for gathering in Mbale was to participate in WMI’s very first annual conference! Though all 45 women present at the conference are local coordinators and head administrators for the same organization, many had not yet had the chance to meet one another, and the gathering this weekend provided a fantastic opportunity for the members to build relationships among one another and converse with other ambitious, like-minded women relentlessly pursuing the work of empowering rural women through WMI.

Throughout the conference, a number of dynamic panels were held that presented valuable insights and allowed the women to exchange ideas. Among the highlights were:

1. A leadership workshop led by Buyobo Women’s Association Director Olive Wolimbwa – Olive articulated the importance of delegating wisely and motivating subordinates as a leader within WMI. She stressed the necessity of being an informed decision maker.

2. An empowerment workshop led by WMI Fellow Hannah Kahl – After collectively contributing a number of agreeable definitions for the meaning of the word “empowerment,” participants brainstormed the many ways that the WMI loan program empowers a woman beyond providing them with a loan. Contributors noted that the loan program empowers women by giving them the opportunity to assume leadership positions, by teaching them how to keep records and save wisely (and then giving them the responsibility to do so!) , and providing them with literacy and education trainings, amongst others.  Women were then asked to split into 10 groups. Each group was paired with another group and tasked to defend opposing positions within a debate setting. For example, one group defended the position that if a woman is too empowered the family unit will be destroyed, while another defended the opinion that if a woman is empowered the family unit is strengthened. Another prompt pitted a group representing the viewpoint that when a woman stays out late at work or spends some of her own money on things for herself she’s misbehaving but if a man does the same it’s his right, against a group that supported the position that even though men and women contribute differently they both contribute and should have access to family resources and freedom of movement.

The exercise sparked a lively exchange of opinions, peppered with energetic hand gestures and theatrical contentions. It was a fantastic display of conviction in the mission of WMI from our loan program leaders.

3. Small group discussions on the subject of the challenges facing loan program leaders – Common challenges included issues with borrowers paying late or paying partially on loan repayment days, difficulties encouraging borrowers to save, hardships finding a proper meeting space (many loan groups are using multipurpose community buildings that lead to scheduling conflicts, and some groups have no sheltered place to meet at all, forcing them to collect loans under a tree), and issues finding transport to distant business places to monitor borrower businesses. After breaking up into groups to discuss challenges, we came back together as a group to collectively brainstorm solutions. The innovative solutions proposed were what some participants claimed was the most helpful element of the conference. It was beneficial for many to see that other hubs were facing similar challenges, and to use synergism to come up with resolutions.

4. A presentation by Ugandan microfinance consultant Joseph Musogolo – The topics covered by Mr. Musogolo included: common challenges in lending and how to manage risk, how to identify viable income generating enterprises, causes for failure of most business enterprises in Uganda, and building linkages and networking amongst partners and stakeholders. His presentation was largely participatory and elicited the institutional knowledge within the room provided by WMI.

5. A jeopardy review game led by WMI Fellows Hannah Kahl and Liz Mooney – The game instigated some healthy competition among the WMI women as they passionately fought for points over topics including WMI procedures for loan documents, local coordinator reports, finances, loan hub administration, and issuing follow-up loans. The wealth of knowledge the members have mastered about the finest details of running the loan program provided for a zealous, evenly matched tournament.

Overall, the conference was an incredible opportunity for the WMI women to form relationships with one another, solidify their leadership roles within the organization, and exchange insights. Participants left the conference a few kilos heavier than they arrived thanks to the conference center’s healthy servings of mattock, with a broader view of the opportunities and challenges faced by their hub as well as other hubs, and a number of creative ideas on how to expand and improve their programs in the coming year.

RAIN Uganda Comes to Buyobo

                  This past Saturday in Buyobo we were pleased to welcome four visitors from RAIN Uganda, an organization run by volunteers that provides education and health resources to villages throughout the area. Most of the volunteers are health practitioners that work in town and want to share their knowledge with rural populations that lack access to this kind of health care information. They came to Buyobo to educate our community (borrowers and non-borrowers alike) about cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is  an ailment that frequently passes undetected among rural women as little is known about the cancer and its warning signs, and it can be difficult for women to reach health centers for treatment and prevention.

                  Welcoming our RAIN Uganda visitors to Buyobo was therefore a great opportunity to imbue the community with cervical cancer education. The training consisted of 4 hours of lively dialogue between the trainers and the 75 community members present, all of whom had many questions for RAIN Uganda.  The topics covered included a definition of cervical cancer, warning signs, treatment and prevention, screening procedures, and the locations of nearby screening centers. There was a lot of focus on simple preventative measures including nutrition and good personal habits. A particularly memorable moment during the training was when the trainers asked how many women in the audience had ever been to a health center for a cervical cancer screening, and a single woman stood up. To address this deficiency, we are looking forward to welcoming RAIN Uganda back to Buyobo at the end of the month to conduct cervical cancer screenings for all women interested.

                  We were very happy with the number of women that showed up for the training, and were impressed with the multitude of insightful questions they had for our trainers. We also had a handful of men, many of whom were from the village health teams, who showed up for the training and demonstrated their support for cervical cancer education. The day culminated in a delicious, Buyobo-made meal for all participants. Thank you, RAIN Uganda, for an interesting, fruitful day of education; we are excited to welcome you back soon!

 

Beyond Bananas

You can all picture it: A small wooden table with some tomatoes, bananas, and onions. A woman with a broad smile offering you some of her fresh goods. It is the classic microfinance image and it is a reality (to an extent). Many of our first time borrowers use their loans to start or expand their produce business. Perhaps it is an instinctual first step from subsistence farming to selling what you are most familiar with. Furthermore, food is always in demand; it can be a very profitable business. These produce stands are truly life changing for a woman and her family.

But, businesses in the world of WMI go beyond bananas. Recently I took some visitors around our eastern loan hubs to see what borrowers were up to. The variety and uniqueness of the businesses was invigorating. Many women on their third or fourth loan, who might have started out dealing in tomatoes, now sell a variety of goods and have moved from a small table to a small shop. Others are now wholesalers. Plus there are a huge number of businesses outside the realm of produce. Some of my favorites:

Motorcycle Maintenance: Motorcycle taxis (boda bodas) are widely used in Uganda.  It is still very uncommon to see a woman driver, but that hasn’t stopped this WMI borrower from making some money in the boda boda business! She sells tires, spare parts, and oil. Other WMI women also buy and rent out bodas to local drivers.

Carpentry: WMI encourages cooperation in the home and in the business. This husband and wife team hammers and sands together, crafting beautiful pieces of wooden furniture.

Dairy: I guess it is all a matter of perspective. To the average American, this cow might look like your run of the mill cow, but here in Uganda this is called an “exotic” cow. They produce far more milk than local breeds but they also require a lot more work: special treatment, special diet. WMI borrowers are learning new husbandry techniques to take advantage of a growing milk trade.

Tool Rentals: You might not see many women here wielding a power saw, but if you need one you might just be renting it from a WMI borrower.

Hair Salon: When we ask about the impact of the WMI loan program we often get similar responses – My children are all in school, we eat better at home, I can pay medical bills, and I now look “smart”. Smart meaning healthy, well dressed, and may I add shining with a bit more self-esteem. WMI borrowers are helping women to “look smart” without having to travel to town. A small luxury in a world of very few luxuries; hair salons in the village provide accessible, quality service and women leave feeling renewed!

Hardware Shop: Iron sheets, screws, hinges… WMI borrowers have what you need!

On Tour with the President

Borrowers throughout Uganda were anxiously awaiting their visit from WMI President Robyn Nietert! Upon arrival, appreciation and gratitude showered down in the form of joyous song, clapping hands, and gifts of chickens, bananas, colorful cloth, and intricate beading.

I met up with Robyn in Kampala. I was so thankful and proud to be joining her for the big journey. Her 2013 Annual Tour officially started from Buyobo, where she visited “sub hubs” or rural collection locations under the Buyobo umbrella. 2012 was the first year that WMI implemented this model. The strong infrastructure already created by the Buyobo team has been strategically used to expand to other villages. Buyobo staff visits these collection spots every two weeks.

Robyn and I were overwhelmed by the warm welcome from each sub hub. We were also overwhelmed by their success as we looked at the payback and saving registers and heard first-hand testimony about how the program is improving conditions for the whole family. We were grateful to see the empowerment part of the program also at work as confidence and dignity rang through the women’s testimonies. Even as we tried to leave before dark, more and more women wanted to share. I could go on and on about impressed we were during these visits, but let me finish with one last point that really stuck out to us: These women are passionate about helping other women. They do not only want to help themselves and their families. They kept requesting that we expand the loan program to help more and more rural women everywhere.

Next we went north to Acholiland, visiting loan hubs in Gulu and Atiak. More warm welcomes and impressive successes. In Atiak the women had prepared a drama depicting the loan program and it’s many benefits. In Gulu we toured a borrower’s home that had introduced a biogas system (using cow manure) into their house providing light and cooking fuel. In the areas formally haunted by Kony and the LRA, people are re-building. Communities are committed to improving their lives. Families are working hard. Women are running businesses and paying school fees.

We then moved back to the East and visited our long-standing hubs on either side of Bududa. Once again there was no shortage of song or generosity. The empowerment these women portrayed felt tangible. The Bududa borrowers have embraced WMI so whole-heartedly that they are independently raising contributions to be able to buy their own land and build a permanent office. Robyn was presented with a handwritten letter by one borrower signed by all her children thanking WMI for the loan program and indicating all the many benefits it brought to their family (there mother is a widow).

The tour ended back where it started in Buyobo. With all the encouragement and inspiration from the travels we went to work with gusto planning and preparing for the year ahead.

I stayed in Buyobo and Robyn went on to visit loan hubs in Kenya, including two brand new hubs that will get their first loans in April 2013!

Keep tuned for more exciting 2013 developments… including WMI’s first annual countrywide staff conference and a budding partnership to bring cervical cancer screenings to the village…

WMI President Robyn Nietert Reports from Uganda Pt. 2

After two years in the WMI loan program, our borrowers graduate to formal bank loans. The 2013 annual WMI graduation ceremony honoring the ladies graduating to bank loans took place this past Sunday in Buyobo, and what an event it was!  Nearly 500 WMI members and their families, honored guests and supportive community members crowded the WMI courtyard for the celebration. Local government officials, PostBank staff, village leaders and the WMI local staff congratulated the hundreds of women who have now advanced to independent banking through the WMI loan program.  Singing, dancing, entertainment, speeches and a fabulous meal created a full day of events and lots of fun for the entire community.  The pictures tell the story better than any words!

WMI borrowers preparing large amounts of food for the graduation.

WMI borrowers set up chairs for the crowd. They bought these chairs and now rent them out to make money for the loan program.

WMI members get organized to march in their annual ceremony to honor the ladies graduating from microloans to independent banking.

The Mbale Brass Band leads the grand march.

The long line of WMI members snakes through Buyobo and proceeds 2 miles to the Sonoli trading Center and back to WMI headquarters in Buyobo.

WMI’s Assistant Director Jackline Namonye was a very able master of ceremonies for the event. Here she introduces the Guest of Honor, PBU Mbale Branch Manager Topista Nabwire, and her staff to the crowd.

Children and local villagers join the march.

Back at the graduation grounds, honored guests including the Postbank Uganda Mbale Branch Manager and staff, the Sironko District Representative for Women and WMI President Robyn Nietert take their seats.

Olive Wolimbwa, WMI’s Local Director, leads Jackline Namonye, Assistant Local Director, and the WMI local coordinator staff in the WMI Anthem “Small Loan for A Big Change”.

The brass band members perform acrobatics.

Robyn addresses the crowd in Lugisu – much to their delight.

The ladies break out into joyful dancing.

WMI’s Resource Fellow Hannah Kahl looks on.

Graduation ponchos are awarded.

Sally Kelly, liaison to the Shikokho, Kenya WMI loan group speaks on behalf of the contingent of ten who traveled with her from Kenya to attend.

The line for the dinner feast prepared by WMI borrowers stretches around the building!

WMI President Robyn Nietert Reports from Uganda

Greetings from Buyobo, Uganda! I am in East Africa for six weeks on my annual visit and very happy to report that the loan program is thriving.

During five days in Kampala the WMI team met with PostBank (PBU) directors and staff to review the transition program operations.   PBU reported that the process of graduating WMI borrowers to bank loans after 2 years in our rural loan is going very smoothly.  WMI members have learned to keep accounts and use their skills training to build up successful businesses before acquiring bank loans.  PBU continues to provide excellent service to WMI borrowers and we are expanding our partnership to better meet the financial needs of rural women.

We also met with the headquarters staff of other larger NGOs and government organizations to discuss partnering opportunities.

After the chaos that is Kampala, Hannah Kahl, WMI’s Resource Fellow, and I headed up to Buyobo and the quiet evenings of the village.  WMI’s Country Director, Olive Wolimbwa, was here to greet us.  WMI is entering the sixth year of its rural loan program – as increasing numbers of borrowers stopped by to greet us we felt like we were being welcomed home.  The village is now a hub of activity as many women have built small shops surrounding the WMI headquarters building.  For the past year, Hannah has been doing a fabulous job supporting loan hub operations in East Africa.

After a day of meetings, we headed out to visit the field operations of several other NGOs in the area with different development programs that have potentials for collaboration.   Back in Buyobo the ladies started preparing the food for the upcoming graduation ceremony.  Olive expects over 500 women – many from distant loan hubs.  Honoring the women who are transitioning to bank loans is a highlight for the WMI community.

Then we started a round of visits to the local loan program sub-hubs and the receptions were overwhelming.  Whether deep in the hills of Buteza or down the dusty road to Manafwa, rural women are singing their praise for the WMI loan program.  And I can report to you that the expansion of the program during 2012 has yielded tremendous results – women are telling us their household living standards have vastly improved even after just 6 months in the loan program.  The most oft repeated improvement was that dozens and dozens of women tell us they can now pay school fees for their children because of the profits they make from their businesses. 

As you can see from the pictures, the reception we receive as we drive from one villager loan program to the next is overwhelming.  Hundreds of women have turned out to greet us and thank WMI for believing in rural women.  The chairwomen of the loan groups have given moving speeches appreciating WMI for recognizing that they are not ignorant or lazy – for recognizing that with a boost in the form of a loan and skills training, they can launch and manage successful businesses.  They tell us how WMI has found them living deep, deep in poverty and provided the tools that have brought them into the daylight of improving life for themselves and their families.  They speak eloquently and honestly from their hearts as they ask WMI to continue to expand the loan program to help all rural women achieve financial security.

I can report that your support of WMI is helping us provide a program that penetrates to one of the root causes of poverty – lack of access to financial services.   Your generosity and commitment is indeed resulting in better lives for thousand of rural women and their families in a format that is sustainable and long-lasting.  THANK YOU!

On the way to the Manafwa loan hub, WMI Country Director Olive Wolimbwa stops at her favorite shop in Mbale to buy gifts for the best savers during the last loan cycle.

WMI Assistant Director Jacklyne Namonye guards the van while we shop.

Manafwa women greet WMI President Robyn Nietert.

Manafwa borrowers sing a song of praise for the WMI loan program.

WMI team meets with members of the NGO Village Enterprise Fund in Sonoli.

Olive and WMI’s local coordinators discuss common issues with Village Enterprise Fund coordinators.

On the 3 hour trip back to Buyobo, WMI Local Coordinators Joyce and Grace Mangali purchase potatoes for the stew that will be served atthe upcoming Graduation Ceremony.

Robyn and Olive address members of The Hunger Project in their beautiful hall that is part of the Epicentre they have constructed outside Mable.

Women in the Buteza loan hub dance their way to the WMI van to greet Robyn and the trainers.

Buteza borrowers sing for the visitors.

Robyn addressing the Buteza borrowers.

The Buteza borrowers convince Robyn to join in the dancing.

Buteza loan groups present Robyn and the WMI trainers with gifts from their businesses.

Robyn tucks the evening meal under her arm as she wishes the women farewell.

Back in Buyobo the ladies prepare the rice for the midday meal for the upcoming Graduation Ceremony!