Happy Giving Tuesday
Happy Giving Tuesday! We hope you are doing well. We are excited to update you on the micro-loan initiative at KAASO and give you a couple of ideas for your Christmas shopping…
It’s Giving Tuesday!
Firstly, we’d like to say a huge THANK YOU for all the support you have given so far. You are helping to change lives of those at KAASO and we couldn’t do it without your geneorsity.
It is fantastic to see our original aim to help retain teachers at KAASO being achieved through the micro-loan initiative. Find out more about this below!
If you are able to, please make a donation to continue supporting the teachers, staff members and students at KAASO. Thank you.
The microloan initiative goes from strength to strength
In case you missed the background to the microloan initiative, you can read about it in our July newsletter here.
We have now received the first reports from Dominic and the committee setting out the projects that have happened so far and the benefits they are seeing as a result. Projects are varied and include brick-making, poultry, piggeries, buying oxen, growing crops, and others. Here are some highlights:
- Some members have bought plots of land for cultivation/ farming.
- Some involved in farming have harvested more than 2 tonnes of maize.
- Some have developed a saving culture since they have additional income.
- Nurse Jackie has constructed a house for her mother.
- Teacher Prossy has bought a plot of land.
- The chair hiring project has so far yielded a profit of 2 million UGX (~£425) for the group and it has helped promote the school to different audiences.
- Staff members are happier than they used to be.
- Staff members want to stay and work at KAASO.
Left: Nurse Shiba and Jackie on KAASO Hill, March 2023
Right: Teacher Prossy at KAASO
There are now 56 members of the KAASO Staff Development Association, 34 teaching staff and 22 non-teaching.
20 projects have been supported so far at a total cost of 21,850,000 UGX (approximately £4,600). Nearly £1,500 has been paid back already.
Interest in the project is growing rapidly and we would like to be able to add more capital to the loan pot to enable as many staff members as possible to get involved. If you are able to, please make a donation to support this fantastic initiative.
Happy, healthy, consistent teachers and staff members are essential for delivering a top-class education for the students at St Paul KAASO.
Dominic’s caption: ‘Fatherly words of farewell to our beloved candidates of 2023.’
Generate FREE donations with your Christmas shopping!
In 2022, the average UK shopper spent £430 on gifts during the festive season!* Can you imagine how much could be raised in free donations if everyone used Give as you Live Online for their Christmas shopping?!
If you’re not signed up already, all you need to do is follow this link, click ‘Sign up for free’ to create an account, and then enter ‘Unity is Strength’ into the search bar and click ‘Support us’ alongside the top result.
We have already raised an amazing £393.65 in free shopping donations!
These top stores will pay donations on your Christmas gifts, along with many others.
Once you have created an account, you’ll see the screen below. To support Unity is Strength, just enter the charity name in the search bar and you’ll see us appear at the top!
We hope you enjoyed hearing about the micro-loan initiative and seeing the teacher/staff retention at KAASO become a reality! Thank you again for your continued support.
We’ll be back in touch with a Christmas message and review of 2023 in a few weeks 🙂