UWESO- fast forward

As the tropical sun set on Saturday the 9th day of

September 2023, the year of the Lord, its rays reflecting
colours of the rainbow from the wavy surface of Lake
Victoria, the eastern garden of neighbouring State House
equally glittered with a sky blue marquee sandwiched
between purple bougainvillea and snow white hibiscuses.
Gentlemen in black ties and ladies similarly in black
evening gowns reminiscent of British ball rooms of ere,
were being gently guided along the cobblestone pathway
to the dinner tables; the rhythmic echo of high heels on
stones announcing the arrival of each .
Dinner tables, clad in black with white and green floral
arrangements, chairs hugged by gold coloured tiebacks,
all told a tale of class and of team millennial who had
typically left no stone unturned to make sure that bucks
would come in; after all it was a fundraising dinner.
The brave team millennial that organized the fundraising
dinner to revamp UWESO’s Masulita Children’s Home
had even coined for themselves a name: the liberation
generation- a generation that has blossomed thanks to

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parents who had put on war boots, gone to the trenches
and been where only eagles would dare .
The programme of the evening indeed played out
differently with short video clips- instead of the usual
long speeches by veterans – spiced up by the booming
baritone voice of the MC in Queen’s English and
melodies from a live Christian band which filled the air.
Before jolting the predominantly comfortable group into
the dark reality under our very noses- children on the
streets, guests dined sumptuously but visibly did not
wine.
They did not disappoint. The cost of rehabilitating
Masulita Children’s Home, Phase 1 which was to the tune
of almost Ugx 1b was practically covered thanks to
Corporates like Tororo Cement, Airtel, to mention but a
few as well as individual contributions.
Indeed team millennial had done it. They clearly showed
that they had taken a cue from their forerunners. I
believe that on the occasion none could have felt more
gratified than Maama Janet, the founder of UWESO at
the most difficult time in the history of

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Uganda. Together with a handful of other women, their
cheeks not yet dry from tears shed in exile were now
face to face with a war-torn homeland where HIV/AIDS
seemed ready to complete the devastation by killing off
able-bodied fathers and mothers leaving behind in its
wake child-headed families.
One unforgettable sight that not only comes to mind but
also seemed to have been taken out of a movie, was in
Rakai where Maama on a fact –finding mission in late
90s, stood in front of a small corrugated iron sheet-
house and the head of the family of about 12 year old
boy together with three younger siblings received her.
Within a stone throw were about 5 fresh graves.
Starting an organization then to save orphans seemed as
overwhelming as emptying the streets of Kampala, of
children from even far flung Karamoja, today.
Determined not to be pushed into resignation, the First
Lady travelled far and wide to not only canvass support
for her baby organization but also to spread the message
of preventing more orphans-abstinence from premarital
sex. In her multiple speeches, she used to give an analogy
of someone moving along a wind-swept beach who
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found a young person throwing back into the sea one
crayfish after another from hundreds of them that were
almost dying out on the beach away from their habitat:
sea water. This older person put the logical question to
the younger one: “What difference will it make to these
hundreds of creatures lying here on the beach?”
Unperturbed, the younger one responded,” It will make a
difference to this one,” as he threw back into the sea the
one that he held in his hand.
So last Saturday, as a few names of Masulita alumini
were being read out including a medical doctor, a
University lecturer, the truth of the story of the crayfish
hit home more poignantly. The effort to save orphans
may not have rescued all orphaned boys and girls in the
nation, but it made a difference to Festus and to Collins.
And then as the saying goes that time tells another tale;
the current story of UWESO without any exaggeration is
practically mindboggling. The once staggering and
almost beggarly NGO now boasts of even an investment
arm. Like any other institution, it has had its fair share of
uncommitted leaders, has been through the post
COVID financial down turn but the UWESO ship bravely

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sailed on because the captain never looked back, nor
gave up.
Determined not to be outdone, UWESO is now running a
financial institution-UWESO Co-operative Group –that
has phoenix-like emerged from the ashes of Success
Microfinance.
Erstwhile CEOs of UWESO like Sheba Rukikaire, Susan
Kajura, Naomi Watiti must be as gratified as the Patron
knowing that their labour was not in vain; as they look
back, when together with the staff we can’t list here and
supportive Boards held up the heavy weight of UWESO
Atlas-like with subsidiaries such as Migyera Training
School (MUTI) ambitiously birthed to meet the needs of
the vulnerable children.
I would like to conclude by saying that UWESO makes us
all proud as Ugandans because it is one of the few
indigenous NGOs that has stood the test of time and
grown from strength to strength. UWESO now covers 6
districts in the Central Region, 4 in the South, 7 in the
North, 8 in the North Eastern, 4 in the Eastern and 8 in
the Western.

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Credit must also be given to multiple donors have
believed in UWESO and extended a helping over the
years. Without them UWESO would not have developed
its capacity nor would it have birthed in one year over
800 Village Savings and Loans Associations or enabled
over 3000 caregivers all over the country to establish
income generating activities and withdrawn almost 500
children from the streets of Kampala city .
So long live Patron of UWESO! Well-done team
millennial – code named ‘liberation generation’ for taking
on the mantle of caring for the vulnerable! Long live
individuals and companies that have the back of these
young people! Long live the Pearl of Africa!