Holt's work in
Uganda
Uganda
began in 2001

Education is very expensive in Uganda. The cost of school fees, books, supplies and uniforms is too much for families living in poverty. Because of this, many children drop out or never even go to school in the first place. But because of Holt donors, over 278 children attend primary school at Jolly Children’s Academy. In 2018, because of Holt sponsors, children now get scholarships to attend secondary school. After the strong foundation of preschool, it is critical for children to continue their education as far as possible. A solid education empowers a child to someday earn a living that can bring themselves and their family out of poverty — for good.

A pillar of Holt’s work in Uganda is early child education. With few affordable or nearby options for families to send their children to school, young children would go with their parents to work, or stay at home unsupervised. But now, over 45 children ages 3 and up attend the Jolly Children’s Academy — a safe place to learn, grow and develop. This teaches both children and their parents the importance of education from an early age, and is the critical strong foundation that children need.

In one-on-one in-home meetings as well as community group meeting, Holt social workers teach and empower parents to raise healthy children. Through trainings — both formal and informal — on hygiene, nutrition, education, discipline, the importance of vaccinations and more — parents grow in confidence and in their parenting skills. And whenever a specific problem arises for a family or child, Holt staff are there to offer counsel and individualized support.  

When a family is living in absolute poverty, there is no opportunity, no options for change. Families in Uganda are motivated and talented, they just need a kickstart. Holt offers zero-interest loans to families to start small businesses. Whether it’s to grow a garden, raise livestock, open a small shop or begin a weaving business, even a small loan can be all that a family needs to overcome poverty and become self-reliant. Holt knows that strength lies in healthy communities, so every family that receives a microloan is also part of a community savings group. These are groups are almost like a bank. In community savings groups families encourage one another to save, and contribute to a community savings fund — a fund that can be borrowed from at zero interest when illness or another unforeseen expense arises.

In Uganda, receiving an animal is like opening and investing in a bank account — it’s a gift that keeps growing. Many families in Holt’s program in Uganda now raise goats, chickens, cows or other animals. As these animals grow and multiply, families have eggs, milk, meat, manure and other commodities that they can both use to nourish their family and sell as a small business. When Holt donors give an animal to a family in need in Uganda, this is the best way to empower them to overcome poverty.

Hunger is a pervasive problem for children and families in Uganda. This is especially true for large families whose income doesn’t match the number of mouths it feeds. Because of this, it’s all too common to see children who are too small for their age, or showing the telltale signs of malnutrition – like chronic sickness and discolored skin and hair. But nutrition is one of the top priorities for the children in Holt’s programs. With donors’ support, children get daily nutritious meals at school. At home, Holt teaches and empowers families to grow their own food, or raise livestock for eggs, milk and other protein. Preventing hunger and malnutrition allow a child to grow healthy and strong, and have the brightest future possible.