Unparalleled Artistry

January 28, 2015

Unparalleled artistry and beauty can be used to describe the products made by the women who participate in the ChangeALife Uganda CashForCrafts program. As part of this program women create baskets, necklaces and bracelets from recycled paper. These homemade crafts are sold in the US and the profits go back to the women and CALU programs. The craft group is a member of the Uganda Federation for Alternative Trade (UGAFAT) which is a network of fair trade producers and organizations in Uganda. As part of this program, students are given the opportunity to learn how to make these crafts thus enabling them to expand their skills and provide them options to support themselves.

Currently there are 34 active women who earn income from the crafts they sell through this program. 

Crafters working together at the BUMU Craft Shop.
Several images of the crafts produced below.

Disability is not Inability

January 28, 2015

Meet Nakachwa Phiona, a 20 year old resident of Nakitoma. She has never gone to school and lives with her grandmother. Phiona is also deaf but that didn’t stop her from achieving success. When she heard that ChangeALife Uganda was going to train women in crafts, Phiona was very excited to join the training program. The process began in May of 2014. Training was done once a week for six months. Phiona never missed a session. She was also able to sell some of her crafts she made through CALU's Cash For Crafts.

CALU continues to offer guidance to Phiona and we hope she stays committed to the program. A new women’s training will be starting in February.

Clair Namukwaya

CALU Microenterprise Coordinator

Phiona with crafts trainer

LEARNING ISN'T JUST CHILD'S PLAY!

The ChangeALife Uganda education offering is the Adult Learning program. In this program adults have the opportunity to go back to school and attend classes to learn essential skills like reading and writing. The program current has 160 registered students.