Women’s Development Centre

The COVID pandemic brought residual challenges to Uganda as it emerged from a 2-year nationwide lockdown that included schools. When schools reopened, Uganda media reported there were over 630,000 girls and young women who were now young mothers with no resources to support them. Worse yet, these young mothers with nursing infants were not allowed back in school, leaving them ill equipped to care for their new family or prepare for their future.

DMUL learned this same challenge had impacted Nakyessa Village and the surrounding communities, and felt compelled to enlist Western NGO HAGCM to bring support to and for these young women.

As a result of combined efforts, the new Nakyessa Women’s Development Centre was constructed. Its focus is to provide basic skills development that can lead to self sustainability; each student is also provided spiritual support and instruction from daily devotional Measure of a Woman, authored by Dr. Gene Getz and Elaine Getz. Each girl also receives personal health and safety instruction from approved government agencies.

This project has now been fully assumed by DMUL. The project and its indigenous leadership are well received by the surrounding village communities who now seek expansion of the project. Many more young female victims need such skills development, including sewing, knitting, hair care, liquid soap, mat creation, block making, chapati making, agricultural enhancement like drip irrigation, and so much more.