When Covid-19 shattered my business, I was confused not knowing how I could bounce back.

In the photo is Noeline and one of her trainees

Noeline like many other youth on our Youth Finance Scheme, had business stopped due to the lockdown as a measure to stop the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. She had lost hope of getting back on the road because she had no any other source of income for her needs. She was always worried of where to get food and money to payback her initial loan.

Thanks to your generosity, in February 2021 we awarded a stimulus loan of £111 ($143) ($125) to help Noeline to rejuvenate her tailoring business which had declined due to Covid-19. Noeline used the stimulus to buy a second sewing machine which helps her to train her fellow youth who have been disoriented by the COVID 19 pandemic. The youth that Noeline trains, pay an affordable amount of money which she uses for business management. loan payback and personal needs.

Last April 2021 we visited Noeline Malyante of Standard Fashion Designers in Kayirikiti Nyendo. She informed us that she was happy that her business was progressing well. Another good news she was glad of, was that she had secured a contract to start making uniforms for pupils of a nearby school.

This is a great achievement for her because she will acquire money which will help her to payback the stimulus loan and also to meet her personal needs. We would like to share a word of thanks from Noeline.

''Thank you for helping me to get my business back after that huge shakeup by the pandemic. I had lost hope of regaining my business after a complete year without a stable income. I am glad that I see some light through the tunnel.''

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2019 Dine So They Can Day. The stimulus loan that we extended to Noeline Malyante was funds we together raised from this event. And because of your participation, Noeline had a chance to acquire a second sewing machine which helped her to revitalize her tailoring business.

This year, the Dine So They Can Day will be held on 1, 2 and 3 October 2021 in any interested community of the world. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible participating in this global life changing event this year. We hope to see many of our long established supporters but hope to see some of our new friends too.

Contact Noeline Now to Know how she is doing it.

0709984272

We supported another youth to boost his business.

This month we supported Atukunda Julius of AJ goat suppliers located in Akashansha – Kiziba - Rakai District with £61, €69, $82, and UGX: 300,000 to boost his business.

Julius wanted to construct a house for his goats in order to protect them from diseases like foot and mouth disease that affect these animals during the rainy season.

Julius on his Farm

When Julius received a start-up loan in November 2019, he established a goat farm. On the farm he started with eight (8) goats. He is lucky that some goats on his farm gave birth to two and others three kids. So with this goat birthrate, the initial goats have multiplied so fast. Currently on the farm there are 20 goats all together. And they would have been more but the farm was affected by the lockdown as the area where Julius' farm is located was quarantined. And it was difficult to access proper veterinary services. As a result several kids died.

Despite of the losses on his farm, Julius is hopeful of getting a stable income in the future.

The goats on Julius's Farm

Thank you for supporting the Youth Finance Scheme to empower more unemployed young people to start their own enterprises and become sustainable.

Young Michael and Norah, married, jobless, and homeless with a 5 months old baby to look after!

The couple - Norah Nambaziira - 18 years is the third born of the 11 children of Mr. Paul Kyeyune and Mrs. Maria Namubiru of Nkoni Masaka. She dropped out of school after her Primary Seven in 2019 due to lack of school fees to continue with her studies. Given Norah's insufficient education, she could not access a formal or a permanent or paying job, instead she used to help vend food in her auntie's restaurant, and moving door to door doing laundry for a living.

And - Michael the sixth born of the 10 children of Mr. Kalanda Ronald and Mrs. Beatrice Birabwa of Nkoni-Masaka, almost like Norah, Michael too didn't go far with his education. He dropped out of school while in Primary Seven due to lack of school fees after his parents had told him that they did not have enough funds to pay for his and siblings education. So Michael decided to go and look for casual jobs to get money for survival and also to support his family. The first job he got was working at a chapatti stall, a petty job that was paying him very very small money, and in the end, he did not earn what he expected. While at the Chapatti stall, a friend called him to go and work with him for a part-time job at the Roads construction company. Michael accepted and he was employed to dig roadside trenches for the Road Construction company.

Norah on the left, our staff Juliet in the middle and Michael on the right with their 5 months baby

However, like any other part-time job, sometimes jobs come and they call you to work and some times there is no job and they don't call you. So Michael would spend several months without work and for any available work he was paid very small and sometimes he would spend months without being paid.

In December of 2019, while helping at her Auntie's Restaurant, Norah met with Michael Muzinda and they hooked up together. In the short while, Norah got pregnant, an act that annoyed her Auntie who abandoned her. At this time, Norah's only person to cling on was Michael. So with his small earnings Michael decided to rent a small house at Kayirikiti for both to stay in as they forge a way forward. Trouble after trouble, in December 2020 just after Norah had given birth to their first born Raymond Basinde who is 5 months old now, Michael also lost his porter job.

On 24 April 2021 the couple's Land Lord threw them out of his rentals due to unpaid 1 month rental arrears and 2 months house rent in advance. This is the time when they did not even have money for food or baby clothes and other essentials but they had become homeless. So the couple decided to come to Youth With A Vision for immediate help with shelter, food and anything that would help them to survive. And we are glad that we helped them with food and short-term payments for a shelter for them to stay in for a period of 2 months, ending 30 June 2021.

Just imagine both Michael and Norah becoming jobless, and again homeless with a 5 months baby to look after!

It is very hard for this young couple to access employment due to lack of sufficient knowledge required by the available few recruiting firms, and the devastation upon the firms caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore they need a lasting and sustainable solution to cope up. During a one-on-one engagement with our staff Juliet, it emerged that the couple is interested in starting their own small Restaurant Business to get an income and in the long run meet their family's immediate needs including payment for their house rent.

Unfortunately Michael and Norah have no savings or capital to start an enterprises which would help them to earn an income for buying food, pay house rent and other essentials. You and Youth With A Vision are their last resort. They do not have any plan next. Through our Youth Finance Scheme, we are looking for people who can help us to raise £300 ($385) (€338) to support this young couple to start a small enterprise, where they can earn an income and be able to look after themselves and their baby.

If you would like to contribute, We would really appreciate it.

Without you we cannot support this young couple. But when we support them, we prevent them from being idle which may lead them into committing crime like stealing, robbery, and so on to survive.

Would you like to contribute something for Michael and Norah to start their own enterprise? Then DONATE and caption Michael and Norah

For more information about the Youth Finance Scheme please go to www.youthwithavision.info/youth-finance-scheme