Success Stories
RUMPs training in Imvepi
CHURCH FUNDS COMMUNITY BUSINESS FACILITATORS
Funds from one of our supportive churches received in April 2024 totalling £1000 are being used to renumerate the 5 Community Business Facilitators (CBFs) who work for CRESS AFRICA for 3 and a half months.
These 5 are South Sudanese Refugees and live within the refugee camps of Northern Uganda. They have been chosen by the CRESS Africa team and their role is to train, oversee, coordinate and record the results of the livelihood groups.
Caroline Lamb has met all 5 in person.
Currently there are 72 groups with 2190 refugees and poor Ugandans in them. These 5 CBFs receive $50 per month around £10 per week, so very little, but they are very grateful for the opportunity to improve their fellow refugees' lives. The 5 have been trained in how to lead and run Savings Groups making sure all savings are recorded in the groups of 30 people. They have also been trained in sustainable organic farming which enables them to produce highly nutritious vegetables - they then share this training with the groups that they oversee. CRESS UK funds all the groups with tools and seeds to start the vegetable production and fruit trees seedlings. The group members, once they have learnt and practiced this farming, are able to feed their families so each family member's health is improved - their hunger reduced and they can even sell some vegetables to provide funds for school fees for their children.
CRESS Africa is unique in all the camps by providing these CBFs and looking after them.
They are able to connect with the refugees using the same language and understand the issues the refugees are facing. The CBFs are also provided with bicycles which again are looked after and repaired regularly - and they are given phones to record results and liase with the Head CBF. The head CBF uses his phone to send photographs of great improvements to the UK Cress Office.
Thank you for your support of these unique individuals making a transformational impact on hundreds of lives. If anyone would like to support one of the CBs regularly just £20 per month will go towards this.
