I did not know that I could live a better life like this
My name is Awor Juliet. I am a 41-year-old farmer and the Chairperson of the Bedimar Young Mothers Saving Group in Ocini, Adak Parish, Kamdini Sub-County, Oyam District.
Before I joined the Rise Above Poverty (RAP) program implemented by Ignite Change, my life was full of uncertainty. Although I was saving money, I did not save with a purpose. Whenever I received my savings, I spent it on immediate seasonal expenses like meat, clothes, and other non-essential items during Christmas time. I had no clear vision for my family’s future.
This lack of planning affected my entire household. I did not prioritize my children’s education, and meeting basic needs like food, healthcare, and proper hygiene was a struggle. I often sold my farm produce without a plan, and the money was quickly spent without thinking about the future. As a result, my family faced food insecurity and could not meet important needs, especially education.
Everything began to change when I joined the RAP program.
Through weekly group training, I gained practical knowledge in saving with purpose, financial management, budgeting, and health practices, among others. These lessons transformed my mindset and helped me make better decisions for my family.
Today, I save with clear goals. I plan and budget together with my husband, and all my children are now in school. I feel empowered, independent, and self-reliant in a way I never imagined before.
My personal journey has been one of growth and resilience. With my first savings of UGX 50,000 ($14), I bought two hens, which multiplied into six chickens. In my second cycle, I sold the chickens and added my savings of UGX 70,000 ($20) to buy two goats. The goats multiplied, and although I sold some to meet family needs, I remained with two to continue growing my livestock.
Juliet with her 2 goats
In my third cycle, I saved UGX 100,000 ($29) and used it to buy a piglet. Unfortunately, it died. This was a setback, but I did not give up. I continued saving. In my fourth cycle, I saved UGX 200,000 ($57), which I carefully used to pay school fees for my children, buy maize seeds for planting, and purchase food for my family.
Today, I can meet my family’s basic needs, including education, healthcare, and food, without struggle. My household has enough to eat, and my children are well clothed and cared for.
I have also become more confident in my community. I now visit others who are facing challenges, sharing knowledge, encouraging them, and offering guidance. After every harvest, my family and I sit together to budget and plan, always prioritizing our children’s education, something we did not do before.
Looking ahead, I have a clear vision for my future. I plan to sell my goats, buy a piece of land, and build a permanent house with about 15 iron sheets where my family can live comfortably.
I did not know that I could live a better life like this. Today, I feel free and strong because I have gained knowledge and can live independently.
My message to others is simple: when you are part of a savings group, learn to save with purpose. With a clear vision, your future can truly change.
Thank you.
A Community Speaks Out at our First Baraza
On July 7th, 2025, Ignite Change brought together over 320 people in Abolokoma Trading Center, Oyam District, for a community baraza - a traditional public forum where neighbors and leaders gather to openly discuss challenges and solutions. The theme was urgent and familiar: poverty.
Participants came from 18 surrounding villages and represented many corners of community life: local government officials, cultural and religious leaders, youth, women, persons with disabilities, the media, and ordinary families. The gathering was not just about talking, but about reimagining how households can break free from the cycles that hold them back.
Honest Conversations, Shared Wisdom
From the start, the tone was one of both accountability and hope. LC1 Chairperson, Mr. Agwa Alfred, called on families to curb alcoholism and late-night distractions that fuel insecurity and rob youth of opportunity. He reminded young people that skills training is a powerful tool for self-reliance.
Echoing this, Parish Chief Mr. Kisembo Richard, speaking on behalf of the Sub County, urged the community to embrace knowledge and skills over dependency. He emphasized that vocational training, modern farming, and savings groups offer lasting solutions where handouts cannot.
Seeing Poverty in All Its Dimensions
Through guided discussions, community members reflected on poverty not only as lack of food, water, or shelter, but also as spiritual emptiness and social exclusion. They spoke frankly about the realities driving poverty in their villages - domestic violence, early marriages, school dropouts, substance abuse, poor resource management, and idleness among youth.
Together, they traced how these issues feed into the cycle of poverty: a poor household struggles with ill health and low productivity, leaving children uneducated, families more vulnerable, and dependence passed to the next generation.
From Talk to Action
What made the baraza powerful was the way solutions came from the people themselves. Participants agreed that every household must take steps toward change:
Save with purpose, channeling even small amounts into income-generating activities like piggery, poultry, or brickmaking.
Invest in education and vocational training, especially for youth and young mothers, to create jobs and reduce idleness and early marriages.
Support women’s enterprises, recognizing that their efforts strengthen entire households.
The baraza did not end with words, it charted a clear path forward. Communities committed to forming savings groups within one month, registering them with local councils, and opening themselves to Ignite Change’s training and support. Families promised to budget, plan, and work together to maximize the resources they already have.
As Rev. Awany closed the event in prayer, he reminded the community that transformation requires both hard work and unity: “Maximize every little resource at hand, and walk in love and understanding.”
The day ended not only with knowledge gained, but with commitments made. For Ignite Change, this baraza was proof that when communities come together to name their challenges and craft solutions, real change begins to take root. In Abolokoma, the first steps toward breaking the cycle of poverty have already been taken. We are looking forward to working with these groups and seeing the changes ripple out to families and the community at large.
A Renewed Hope Through Skills
My name is Acio Mirriam. I come from Akidebe Village in Minakulu. I am 18 years old, a student in Building and Concrete Practice (BCP) Course under the scholarship program for Skills Development at Ignite Change Vocational Training Institute.
Growing up, life was quite tough for me together with my siblings as orphans raised by a poor elderly grandmother. My sister and I sat for Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) twice through my grandmother’s support but still it was difficult for us to continue with our education after primary level. We both dropped out of school, stayed home for 1 year and never saw any hope of going back to school. The community made fun of our situation. My schoolmates who continued to secondary education mocked me, discriminated against me with all these I felt hopeless. Because there was no hope for further education, my sister and I started farming to support our grandmother’s effort to sustain the family.
Then I was selected to be taken under a scholarship program for vocational education at the Ignite Change VTI. While at school in the department of BCP, we learned basic building skills like setting out a building, building a superstructure, and more.
Mirriam busy building a wall
I am proud to say that from the time I joined school, my life has changed. The lost hope is regained back even in my family. I am better off than my fellow friends who joined secondary education because I have practical skills which they do not have. Even after only one year of my training, I am able to use my knowledge and skills gained practically to generate income. During school breaks, I get opportunities to work with contractors at their construction site and get paid. I can set and lay foundations, cast concrete, render and plaster houses among others. This money helps me buy other requirements for school and support my grandmothers’ and family’s needs.
With these set of skills at hand I can choose to be a boss of myself, an employer, or a professional suitable for the labour market. I am now growing to become a self sustainable youth, generating income in the household and able to support and provide for the family as I work to move my family out of poverty. I am a shining example of a skilled youth in the community trained for sustainable growth.
I want to say thank you to the Ignite Change Organization. Your programs have given a vulnerable youth like me the chance, opportunity and hope for a brighter future.
Live long to reach and empower many more orphans and vulnerable children like me with skills for economic transformation in their lives and that of their families.
May the Almighty God bless you!
Now hope is restored and I am able to solve my problems
Everyday You are changing lives. This is the story of how you have transformed Awilo Harriet's life - told in her own words. Harriet was not able to finish school. She was left pregnant and hopeless. That is, until Ignite Change saw her when the rest of the community had left her. Her story is just one of many. It’s a powerful reminder of how no matter where you are in the world we are all connected and we ALL need each other.
And next Tuesday your donation will be TRIPLED to reach and transform lives of families like Harriet's!
My name is Awilo Harriet. I come from Adak ‘A’ Village in Kamdini.
Before knowing about Ignite Change, life was not good. It was tough for me as a young mother because I got pregnant in senior two and dropped out of school. People were talking about me in the community which was very discouraging. I did not know what to do to make myself valuable and that made me feel hopeless at that time.
Ignite Change brought together a group of young mothers, we were trained for 6 months by a mentor from the Organization on important lessons like, life skills, business skills, God’s word, savings, and health education among others. When this training was done, we were graduated and given certificates, but it did not stop at that! We were then informed that 10 members would be taken for a tailoring. I am happy to say that I was among the members whose names were selected and benefited from the tailoring course.
It was not an easy journey especially for me as a young mother because at that time, I had a 6-month-old baby with whom I carried every day to attend the training course for 9 months. I endured and struggled until I completed my course because I felt overlooked and mocked by everyone except Ignite Change.
After completing the course, Ignite Change opened a tailoring center and gave us all the startup kits, tools and materials we needed to get started with our trailering business.
Today, I have become self-empowered, and my family livelihood has improved. I speak with all the confidence that I feel very different, my life has not remained the same. I have become very important to myself, family, and the community. I feel valued, respected, and helpful to the community because I am giving my skills and knowledge to other youths in my community by training them.
My family's economic status has greatly improved. I now make clothes out of materials for people, and this is generating income to provide for my family. I now pay rent for my business and support my children’s education, buy food, pay medical bills and can meet my family needs easily.
These skills have taken away my worries and the pain I had when I lost hope. Now hope is RESTORED and I am able to solve my problems. My family’s economic status has improved, I am happy, and my family is happy.
I thank Ignite Change for coming to my rescue
My name is Awor Sophie, I'm a strong believer in Christ. I'm 30 years of age. I live in Buga cell, Western ward, Kamdini town council. My husband was unfortunately lynched by a mob early this year and I became a widow. At the time of my husband's death, I was pregnant with my last born.
Sophie Awor and her children as she shares her story
As my pregnancy grew, I felt terribly sick along with one of my other children. I was forced to sell one of the bulls left at home in order to raise money to get treatment both for myself and my child. My husband's brother did not perceive it in a good way, he became so mad at me as to why I sold the bull.
The worst news came a few weeks later when the bank came with an agreement they had with my late husband. The house where we live was to be taken by the bank since my husband put it as part of the security for acquiring a loan. I had nothing to do, if the bank was to take over the house, I and the children would have nowhere to live. So I decided to sell off a piece of land that we have in order to raise money to clear the bank loan. Which I did and our house was secured.
My brother-in-law became so wild at me and tried to take over all that my husband left behind. When I reached out to the clan [family] leaders, they tried to have us reach an agreement, but I didn’t see any change come out of it. The man wanted me out of his late brother's house, yet I have children to take care of.
One day, as I was walking on the road and I was crying, I met a certain woman who knew what I was going through, she then advised me to reach out to Ignite Change. She directed me where their officers are located and gave me confidence that Ignite Change would help me.
Indeed when I went to the Ignite Change’s offices, they listened to my story and swiftly came into action. They reported the case to the police, they then convened a meeting between me and the rest of other extended family members including the police officers incharge of Children and Family Protection. I explained all that was going on between me and my brother in law. He was ordered to stop all violences and insults he was throwing towards me. All that he had taken forcefully were returned to me including some herds of cattle he had hidden from my knowledge that my late husband had bought a day before his death.
He was quoted as saying ,”this organization [Ignite Change] is very serious on issues regarding the women, widows and orphans, no one who disturbs these people escapes the hands of the law.”
I thank Ignite Change for coming to my rescue, their name alone now stands as a big shield for me, they helped me discover things I previously did not know. I am happy now leaving without oppression from my late husband’s family, all that was taken from me were returned. I now pray that the organization grows even bigger. They have become fathers to the fatherless, and husband to the oppressed widows may God bless them abundantly.