Program Background
The Good Shepherd Program, located on the outskirts of Kampala, works in partnership with Volunteer Christian International Services (VICS), Rich in Mercy, Caritas, the Spiritan Fathers, and Human Mobility.
By 2022, the program had 150 women participants, which grew to approximately 300 by 2024, all supported to implement microfinance activities. These included weekly savings and loaning schemes through organized SHGs in Katanga, Mulago, Kavule, Kamwokya, Kisenyi Upper, Lower Nsooba, and Kalerwe.
A total of 150 women were trained in entrepreneurship and business management. Additionally, 20 women from food-stressed and economically vulnerable families were supported to acquire adaptive skills in goat and pig farming. Besides receiving goats and pigs as start-up capital, the women were trained in breeding and breed selection, feeding techniques, and disease and parasite control.
The program also emphasized holistic development through sessions on spiritual formation and personal growth. In response to the increasing risk of human trafficking in Kampala, 113 women and 67 youth were trained on human rights and human trafficking awareness. This training aimed to enlighten participants about their rights and protect them from exploitation, especially false job promises in Gulf countries. As a result, several women and girls were safeguarded from trafficking, while five survivors received legal and psychosocial support through referrals.
To uphold the rights and dignity of children in Kampala, the program trained at least 350 children on child rights and safeguarding. Furthermore, 72 children from low-income families were sponsored for their continued basic education in 2024.
Key Achievements
- Improved household income through provision of seed capital for business startups, and animal husbandry.
- Improved rights awareness among women and the community, thereby reducing incidents of human trafficking and violation of rights.
- Improved access to basic education for children from low-income families.
- Improved self-awareness, and respect for human rights among project participants.