Uganda

Outreach Uganda thanks you very much for the knitted women's shawls that you gave to us for distribution to our women's groups in Uganda. We were limited in what we could bring in on our January trip and so had received 40 shawls from you. We chose to distribute these shawls to our most needy group in the Lamwo district of northern Uganda.

There are 90 members in this women's group. The women were in IDP (internally displaced person's) camps (due to the 20 year war with the Lord's Resistance Army) until mid-2009 when they returned to resettle in their original ancestral village. Most women arrived with nothing but the clothes on their back.

You can only imagine their joy and excitement upon receiving these very colorful, wonderful shawls! As part of encouraging our groups to be responsible for themselves, and to show good leadership, each of their five sub-clusters of women was charged with the task of determining who would receive these shawls. Each cluster had enough shawls for only 50% of their members. We were encouraged by what we saw. The clusters discussed with each other and seemed in the end to give priority to the elderly women and pregnant women.

Uganda evenings can be chilly (down into the high 50s or low 60s) especially during rainy reason. We know the shawls will not only keep these ladies warm physically but saw with our own eyes how it "warmed" them psychologically by hearing the story of how loving, thoughtful people here in the U.S. had cared enough to send the shawls to them. We even noted one lady who had immediately used her shawl to cradle her baby in it.

Thanks again for your wonderful program! We look forward to continued partnership with you to bring your program to more villages in Uganda!

Carol Davis, Founder and President
Outreach Uganda