Help people help themselves.
We support families in Uganda in securing their own livelihoods in the long term. A key focus of our work is providing vocational training, primarily for young people whose families cannot afford to send them to school any longer.
We all work on a voluntary basis: every cent donated reaches the people in Uganda in full.
Our story
In just a few years, a single vocational training project in Uganda has grown into a shared initiative - carried by people on the ground and supporters in Germany.
How it began
It began with Father Achilles. The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic had hit many families in Uganda hard. Often there was no longer enough money to send every child to school - older teenagers in particular stayed at home, without training and without any prospect of work. With support from donors in Germany, above all from Tettnang, he set up a first vocational training project.
The idea takes shape
Joachim Straub visited the project in Uganda for the first time. Together with Father Achilles, Solome and Edith, he developed the idea further: young people should not only receive short-term support, but training that would later allow them to earn their own living.
Edith brought her experience as a seamstress and head of a women’s group to the training. As a businesswoman and owner of a hair salon, Solome knew both the local conditions and the organisational and economic requirements from her own experience.
Further development
A further training project, this time for hairdressing, was set up in Matugga. At the same time we introduced budget planning, accounting and regular reporting across all projects - reliable structures for the work ahead.
Solome took on a key role in this: she grew into the role of project manager on the ground and today coordinates the training projects, the finances and much of the organisational work.
The association was founded
The non-profit Förderverein Uganda Familienhilfe e.V. was founded in Germany. It has provided the organisational framework for support from Germany ever since.
Land of our own
Thanks to a generous donor, we were able to buy land of our own - a real milestone for the project.
This is where we want to build a training centre in the long term. It will be realised step by step, depending on the donations available.
What began in 2022 as a small training project is today a shared initiative of people in Uganda and supporters in Germany - with one clear aim: helping people to help themselves.
What drives us
We want to give young people in particular the opportunity to learn a trade and, in time, to support themselves. Our aim is, above all, to provide a helping hand. Once someone has completed their training and established themselves, they should no longer be dependent on external support in the long term.
Project management is the responsibility of our board members and sub-project leaders in Uganda. The annual budget is agreed with a board member in Germany.
Team in Uganda
Solome
Solome knows the people, the local conditions and the challenges of everyday life. An experienced businesswoman, she coordinates our training projects in Uganda, supports the sub-project leaders and, together with the board, is responsible for planning and accounting for the projects.
“Through her experience, her strong local contacts and above all her feeling for people, Solome has become a mainstay of the entire project.”
Joachim Straub
Board member, Förderverein Uganda Familienhilfe e.V.
Father Achilles set the project in motion in 2022 and, with support from Tettnang, built up the first vocational training project.
As head of a women’s group and an experienced seamstress, Edith has accompanied the project since its earliest days. Today she is responsible for the tailoring training in Kijaguzo.
Rita manages the affairs of the parish. Her experience and expertise make her a valuable support for the project.
Team in Germany
Get to know us.
Would you like to know more about our work, or support the project? We are glad to hear from you.