A new crowdfunding campaign on local platform Zaar hopes to raise funds to support children in Uganda.
YOOTE CARES Africa started in January 2019, with the mission to address the health and education needs of disadvantaged children and youths in Eastern Uganda. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the living conditions in poorer villages like Kimbale, in the Bugiri district of Uganda – while increasing the already high number of orphans in the area. Children generally are the most affected during times of hardship, especially in poverty-stricken areas – more than 30 per cent live under economic poverty, while 28 per cent do not have access to safe water.
While supporting these vulnerable children and youths, the YOOTE CARES Africa project seeks to also give them an opportunity to study and sustain themselves, instead of depending on their community.
“These children and youths, apart from failing to raise school tuition fees, are also unable to meet their basic needs for food, shelter, medical care and sanitary towels for mature girls,” explains project founder Olwenyi Emmanuel Jassa, who is himself an orphan from the region. “The combination of poverty, HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other diseases have continued to affect orphans, child-headed households and children living with single mothers and the elderly. We want to provide quality education and welfare support to these needy children, so that they can have happy and healthy lives, and look with hope towards prosperity and a better future.”
Inspired by Olwenyi Emmanuel Jassa’s own background in tailoring, the Hand in Hand for YOOTE CARES Africa campaign on Zaar hopes to raise €1,000, to realise a project that will teach the youths tailoring skills, so that they may become more independent and sustain themselves. Funds raised via the Zaar campaign will cover the costs of sewing machines, material, tuition and the rental or purchase of a large space to serve as the school of tailoring. Extra funds will also go towards the children’s other urgent basic needs such as food, education, medical care and safe shelters where they will find a sense of belonging.
“YOOTE CARES Africa has been supporting 30 orphans in Eastern Uganda, particularly in the Bugiri District, by paying their school fees and buying books, school bags and uniform, so that they can have a basic education,” continues the project founder. “However, this is just a tenth of those who effectively need support. Through this project, we intend to scale up our support, directly supporting 50 orphans and vulnerable children and indirectly supporting another hundred. Every donation we receive can make all the difference to a child’s life.”
Visitors are invited to make a donation to the Hand in Hand for YOOTE CARES Africa campaign at www.zaar.com.mt.
