Running costs
We are running 2 safe houses, in Mugumu and Butiama, currently sheltering 123 girls, but this rises sharply during “cutting seasons”. The police also regularly bring us girls who have been raped, beaten or threatened with child marriage. We never turn anyone away. We get no government funding and rely on donations, so meeting the running costs needed to pay the rent, electricity, water, firewood for cooking and above all food, is always challenging.
We are also seeking funds to build a new safe house on land we have been given, to save on rent. Further updates on this will be provided in due course.
Transportation
We only have 1 vehicle for 2 safe houses that are over two hours apart. This makes it challenging to quickly reach girls at risk of being cut, to carry out home visits with girls’ guardians in order to facilitate reconciliation, and to perform follow-up visits with girls who have already returned home to ensure they are safe.
Clean water
Our Butiama safe house in Kiabakari village lacks tap water. This means that girls living there have to wake up very early to fetch water and the available water is sometimes not clean, posing a danger to health. We would like to drill a borehole so that girls and staff will have access to safe drinking water on site, but we need funds to do so.
Vocational training supplies
Our free vocational training programme is in need of additional supplies, such as more sewing machines, large tables, and cupboards. This would enable us to make more tailoring goods to sell to local hotels, and to make reusable sanitary pads for the girls.
We need laptops for our computer skills lessons. Generous donors have sponsored girls at driving and tourism schools, but we need more of these opportunities.
Computer equipment
Laptops will also be very useful for our staff and a printer with a scanner would be of great benefit to help facilitate our work.
If you are able to help us with any of the challenges outlined above, please visit the Contact page. Alternatively, if you wish to make a monetary donation, please use the button below.