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Voluntary Action for Development (VAD), in partnership with Friends of Uganda-Germany, has supported 45 girls in acquiring valuable tailoring skills. These girls have been trained in sewing clothes, making menstrual pads, and producing liquid soap—practical skills that empower them economically and socially.

Notably, five girls have already sewn their own school uniforms (blue skirts and cream T-shirts), which they proudly wear. They have also secured contracts from various schools to sew uniforms, significantly improving their livelihoods and providing sustainable income opportunities.

This initiative not only promotes education but also fosters lifelong skills that enable girls to build independent and resilient futures.

This well was constructed with funding from Just a Drop – UK and now benefits a total of 920 people from the surrounding communities.

Key Benefits:

• Improved Personal Hygiene: Access to clean water has enhanced daily hygiene practices for community members.
• Reduced Burden on Women and Girls: With safe water nearby, women and girls spend less time searching for water and can now focus on more productive activities.
• Lower Incidence of Waterborne Diseases: The risk of illnesses related to poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water has significantly decreased.
• Better School Attendance: Children can now get to school earlier, as they no longer have to travel long distances to fetch water before classes.
• Convenient Water Access: Community members now travel less than 1 kilometer and spend under 30 minutes to collect clean water, compared to much longer distances previously.

This well has transformed the health, education, and daily lives of the Anyangareng community, supporting sustainable development and wellbeing.

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54 Years Cattle Trader/ Farmer

I have benefited from increasing income and food security for the 250 vulnerable households in Okoboi parish, in Teso north east Uganda, specifically benefitting through the trainings on agronomic and post-harvest handling practices that the VAD staff had trained on from time of inception of the project

He is able to at least make rightful decisions on what to cultivate that brings about more income to the family, on the side of feeding he is able to even have evening tea which he attributes to greater change and the home is flooded with Karamojong casual labourers. He is even planning to save more in the group so as he starts constructing on his plot at the trading centre of “freedom” in Okoboi parish.

Four (4) farmers groups of 25 members each which totals to 100 farmers received each group with Ugx 2,500,000 hence Ugx 10,000,000 was provided. The aim of loan provision to farmers is to support and facilitate their start up capital in order to boost their existing businesses as well strengthen their capacity while sustaining the intended project. This time round the approach used was really good in that the farmers with the WATSAN structures (JAD funding) were mobilized and converged at the Sub County headquarters of which all beneficiaries turned up. For example; 100 farmers and 60 WATSAN members of three water user committee (received Ugx 12,000,000). The Sub County officials (Sub County Councilor, Agricultural Officer, Sub County Chief, Community Development Officer and local council 1 Chairperson) were mobilized as well to witness the hand over of the loans. VAD officials and staff were also present. The loans were handed over by the Sub County Chief. This grant was supported by Signpost International-UK and Just A Drop-UK VAD’s longest partners

Voluntary Action for Development has successfully constructed a vocational centre at Kapelebyong District in the North Eastern Uganda. The vocational centre has been equipped with a total of 14 sewing machines including ordinary machines, over-lock machine and sweater making machine. A total of 30 young girls have been enrolled and they are being taught by 2 teachers. VAD provided all the materials to be used while learning. We are happy to say that, the vocational centre is doing very well, young girls have learnt various skills in tailoring and how to make liquid soap making. One of the interviewed girl called Proscovia confirmed that she can now sew small shirts, re-usable sanitary pads, skirts and she said in the near future she is planning to start her small tailoring services. Thank you VAD, thank you Friends of Uganda-Germany and thank you Schock Foundation for the tremendous support which is first of the kind in our region. Compiled by Lilian Nakijoba Programmes Manager VAD

VAD with support from Signpost International-UK has provided 14 Community Agricultural Trainers (CATs) with 14 bicycles, gumboots which items are going to easen the trained CATs while conducting farmer to farmer follow ups. The project being implemented is, “Increasing Household Livelihood Security for Women and Youth in Teso, North East Uganda’ and 250 farmers have directly benefited from these interventions. All the 10 farmers group @25 members in (Aturai and Akulunyo in Kapelebyong District North Eastern Uganda) have been provided with revolving loans (Ugx 24,000,000) and they have injected in their small businesses and farmers’ incomes have increased. The targeted farmers now eat at least 2 or 3 meals a day with well balanced diet which situation was not there before. They Farmers have applied best agronomic practices on their gardens and are planting in row and are yielding good crops.