Giving Stories Blog

For Airtel Uganda, business, and heart, go together. As the telecom company commissioned three masts in the Rwenzori region, they considered the damage caused by recent floods. Kasese District has been on the receiving end of seasonal floods that have brought life and livelihoods to a standstill. One of the affected aspects of life in the region has been the diminished access to health centres and services due to blocked roads and the destruction of some facilities. Airtel Uganda sought out expectant mothers due to the increased risk of maternal death in light of the peril caused by the floods.

Very happy update! 3 weeks ago I posted here about our 13 year old friend Sunday David, who was in urgent need of a new wheelchair - as his had reached its end. The response was amazing. Within a few hours we had surpassed the needed amount... and people kept on giving! Read more

Giving takes various forms, and mentorship is one of them. It is the gift that keeps on giving! Mentorship has its foundation in the fact that we all have something to teach and something to learn. It is a way of repurposing our time and experiences, helping others to grow. The Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited (UWEAL) has done this for Ugandan women in business.

Soul Foundation Uganda and MTN Uganda joined hands to enable Butabika national referral mental hospital get new lavatories for their patients and the staff.

The development coincided with global commemoration of the World Mental health day which was celebrated on the 10th of October 2021. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this year’s theme was “Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality”. The subject of mental health received more activism than the previous years before the global pandemic.

A timely intervention: with the closure of schools beyond the lockdown and the expense of online learning, access to education stands to be compromised. Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) in partnership with Books for Development partnership will see the establishment of 50 mobile libraries for school children living on the islands of Lake Victoria.

It started off with a campaign dubbed “Send us to Mayuge.” The aim was to provide food to families that had been hit hard from the COVID-19 induced lockdown. The Odur Foundation is a Community Foundation operating in Mayuge District whose mission is to promote and advance practical community initiatives to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life of people in the communities they serve.

Philanthropy is nimble, responsive, and engaged in perceiving a need and addressing it. The generous contributions of the Lions Clubs of Uganda to the health sector demonstrates how fast philanthropy is in recognizing and responding to the needs in the health sector.

Finally. Today (Sunday 12th) at 7am, a Uganda Airlines plane flight No UR202 left Entebbe enroute Nairobi, onboard, someone special- a 74-year-old man called Wilson Dhabangi. This is why you should know about him.

In 1996, I lost my father. As such, my mother had to work double to sustain us. Sometimes she spent weeks away from home. To be sure that I was getting a good education, she decided to take me to Namalemba Boarding Primary school- then a very powerful school along Tirinyi-Mbale road in Eastern Uganda. Unfortunately, many times, she never had the opportunity to come visit me.

Girls to Lead Africa (GTLA) is a leadership incubator that nurtures and mentors’ girls to take up leadership positions in student councils. During the past 42-day lockdown, they did more than just mentor girls, for leadership.

GTLA donated COVID19 relief food to families and gave masks and sanitisers to the Kanungu women that were sleeping in Kihihi Daily Market during the lockdown.

Inspired by the financial struggle that his grandfather faced while educating his father, Dr. Busingye Kabumba an alumnus and now, lecturer at the Makerere School of Law, birthed the idea to start the Makerere Law Scholarship Fund. Access to education at the School of Law had since turned into a luxury that was accessible by the people who had a stable source of good income. The pandemic and its ripple effect of economic hardships has not made things any better.

Today we share another story of generosity, driven by the power of social media through big, bold and brave giving.

A video story that was reported by BBS Tv, about the plight of household knitted together by a teenager, looking after her siblings after both parents had abandoned them, went viral on a social platform WhatsApp. In a particular WhatsApp group, A Law Development Center (LDC) lecturer, identified as Mulalira Faisal was touched and moved to tears, after viewing the clip of the teenager, struggling to shelter, and feed her siblings in the Central region of Nakaseke District. Read more

“In crisis, portends opportunity”, tells a Chinese saying. Indeed, in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic that continues to cripple the world, philanthropic actions by individuals and organizations are vivid, with several stories of giving being reported and shared in several discussions.

There has been a rise in giving and generosity support the public sector, increased local giving which has birthed homegrown solutions surge to solve emerging local challenges. The effectiveness of giving has soared with institutions and individuals teaming up with partners to respond to the current health crisis.

“What should I give towards?” You ask. Some givers have charted a new course by funding innovative, even edgy causes and ideas. Others have chosen to fill existing gaps in the public sector, a move so noble. This kind of giving has played a complementary role to government’s effort in providing healthcare for all Ugandans.

Rotary clubs in Uganda have made a mark in the health sector by their concerted and consistent donations and drives. We share a story of the Rotary Club of Muyenga which is partnering with the Katalemwa Cheshire Home to manufacture wheelchairs, shoes, and orthopedic assistive devices for children with disabilities.

The most direct effects of Covid-19 have been the fear of infections by the virus and the imminent death that succeeds infections. Yet beyond the direct challenges are more basic difficulties like hunger and the not-so-far-away possibility of starvation for many rural and urban families.

As nations, organizations and leaders continue putting together concerted efforts to resolve the bigger problem, the inner love for humanity has got to kick in to solve more immediate needs. Who better to influence this than community leaders? They are next door leaders, a call away and often sociable.

A popular African saying that effectively expresses a commonplace truth, says that “If you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go further, you go together”.

The saying is not only true in its literal sense, it also holds water within the philanthropic space. We have seen it sprout in different social activities used to converse resources to enable vulnerable folks i.e., cancer runs and in car washes that Ugandans have collectively undertaken to fundraise for individual or community needs. It only goes ahead to radiate a common goal that there’s impact when people, institutions and organisations came together, great things can be achieved. Read more

Edward Kasenge narrates his tough journey to graduation

“Our greatest rugger of all time, Robert ‘Soggy’ Seguya, down with Leukemia. You fought for us, now we fight for you, with you. Let’s do this!!” was a tweet shared by Mark Ssali, a seasoned sports journalist and commentator, about the plight of the Uganda Rugby Cranes tactician, Robert Seguya, who is battling with Leukemia. See more

Benjamin Owor, a seasoned and famous media personality in Uganda, is in need of funds to aid him in undertaking a medical surgery, following an accident that has left him incapacitated to aid himself normally. See more

The guns may be silent but girls in lira in northern uganda continue to suffer from Period poverty as many of the girls and their parents or care takers are unable to afford to buy sanitary products like pads, panties, buckets for girl’s menstrual management due to financial constraints. According to Plan International, in Uganda 28% of girl’s miss school because they are menstruating simply because they cannot afford or access the menstrual management products. See more

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Pidson Wesige Wavamunno’s generosity and piety stood out in the community. These traits remain long after he passed away.

Wavamunno, the fifth of the 10 children of Ssalongo Yovani Wavamunno and Nnalongo Maliza Wavamunno, did not only live his life humbly until his death two years ago aged 74 years, but he also tried to espouse the golden rule principle of treating others as you want to be treated. See more