1: Rescuing Children from the streets and villages
In the villages around Rukungiri in the Kigezi District there are now roughly 150 vulnerable children who have been rescued from extreme poverty who now go to school locally, they board during term time so they have safe accommodation, are fed regularly and well, they receive clothing, a uniform and a mattress. Their families/guardians (if they have them) are invited into community help schemes and are also visited regularly by Martin and his team.
At the moment they are trying to build a new house in a village far from a water supply which will rehouse a 5 children and 3 guardians whose previous mud house collapsed.
2: Jim’s Shed – A woodwork training centre and furniture manufacturing centre
Friends in the UK have supplied tools and the finance to build a woodwork training centre which is called ‘Jim’s Shed’ because Jim’s daughters donated everything to set this up once their father died. This now serves as a workshop providing furniture for the school, is almost sufficient through selling furniture to local community and will take on apprentices to train youngsters in carpentry.
3: Tailoring
Friends have donated money and equipment to help some of the single mothers to set up as seamstresses. They are now able to make and sell clothes to feed themselves and their children.
4: Uganda Craftwork
Many of the ladies and children are very creative and skilful at making beautiful handmade African crafts and they are sold at Jim’s shed to raise money for them.
5: Supporting the families of the children
OFHM often supplies support in the form of animals, crops, food but it also provides advice and guidance in many areas which are helpful. Helping to set up community saving clubs, self sufficiency lessons in farming and agriculture.