Fount of Mercy
Even though I had supported Fount of Mercy for years, it wasn't until I traveled to Uganda and experienced first hand, that I realized the powerful effect their work has on the women and children if Africa. Immediately, it was clear that Uganda women have a strong inner strength, but this organization gives them tools they need to provide for their families. Working with indigenous African organizations, Fount of Mercy has enabled these women to achieve success within their families and their communities, a true meaning of empowerment!
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
The results are evidenced in the testimonials that were given by the women in Uganda
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
The main area I would change would be increasing awareness so there would be additional funding.
Sewing Hope's approach of training teachers within existing community groups is a sustainable model for development. Sewing Hope's founder, Tara Hawks is dedicated to helping Ugandan women gain vocational skills so that they can earn a living for their families. With this end goal in mind, she constantly questioning her approach and seeking feedback from students to ensure that her efforts are effective. Other organizations that I encountered while in Uganda, were only distributing machines but not providing training. Sewing Hope, provides specialized vocational training by expert volunteers so the machinery is used to it full potential and is properly cared for over time.
With Tara Hawks now working full time, I believe Sewing Hope has clear goals and is on track to keep growing and expanding.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
After 2 weeks teacher training with a group called Care and Share, we presented only our 2 best students with certificates for the completion the course. Along the way we had to ask 2 women to leave because they were not skilled enough for the training and identified 2 more that with considerable leadership skills, who we hoped could train with us later. Our tough decisions paid off because we helped the group identify their strongest leaders and we equipped them with skills to teach others.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
As a young organization, Fount of Mercy would benefit from volunteers who can spend more time on the ground. While the volunteers are experts in their fields, they are unable to dedicate sufficient time in country. As the organization grows, this will be a great way to become more influencial.
More feedback...
Would you volunteer for this group again?
Unsure
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
A lot
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Very Well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
Likely
i have been with fount of mercy for a year now. i have learned a lot from it as a woman.it has very good programs most especially for women.We have a saying if you educate a woman you have educated the whole nation.Therefore i have learned about birth control with out spending money by day counting,how to prevent family from STD and AIDS from the voluteers.This knowledge in uganda you need to go health centre to be get this education but this organization brings it to the grass root.
This organization has imparted skill to the women in order for them to Job creators not seekers.For example the Tailoring and Design for women,Baking bread,cakes and others.Handcraft making of paper necklss,bangoes,bags and maney other things.This is how the women are having their small income.Not like before when they nothing to do and take care of their families.I have too much to about fount of mercy if given a full day.Thank to this Orgasation and people who put their heads together make that woman to be some.God bless you
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I have personally experienced in that i have seen them bake,sewing and bought some bread from them.i have attended the health education classes.The volunteers give them good skill but they hear for a short time.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I would get for them market for their beautiful products like the paper necklaces,bags and money others.Buy for women a sewing machine for 2per sewing machine.Have ladies make a come together day out at least once or twice a year to relief their stress of all work with any fun.One day we would share about the year achievements and the next year to come,have a bible sharing,groundnuts and a cup of tea.I would give the volunteers more time to teach.
Fount of mercy ministries is one of the non profit organisations that has been very foundamental in empowering our Ugandan women for example Bulubandi Women's group in Iganga and care ans share women in Rwanda with alot of life skills in so many fields such as in tailoring and sawing skills ,beaking,craftsmanship and helping in various primary schools like Rock primary school (Rwanda, Ug) and TOAST primary scahool (Mafubira Ug) by educating and equiping teachers with enough skills and facilitating them by providing them with teaching material and physical eduation material like balls and very many others.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
yes i have experienced the results of this organisation because i have seen the work and out comes of the women after they have been tought by this group because alot of them have right now started their own survival businesses like sawing for commercial like school uniforms and now many can earn aliving.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I would like to extend or enlarge their teritory or work beyond eastern uganda so that they can cover or work in alarger area of the country because their work is sogood for the community development.
More feedback...
Would you volunteer for this group again?
Definitely
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
Life-changing
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Very Well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
Definitely
It is easy to sit here in my heated home, on my couch and think about all the 'good' works happening around the world. However, experiencing Ugandan culture and seeing the struggles people face there is a life changing experience. I had the privilege of seeing the amazing work that Fount of Mercy is doing in Uganda firsthand. Being a working mother myself, I really liked the fact that Fount of Mercy was started by a few very successful young women in NYC who saw an opportunity to use their skills to empower women and widows in Uganda.
Prior to my travels, I hosted a "friendraiser" in my home to raise awareness of the work this non-profit is doing. I was able to share numbers, statistics, and success stories during this friendraiser, but it wasn't until I was in Uganda looking these women in the eyes until it hit me how many lives Fount of Mercy has touched. One women in particular, has been supported by Fount to teach sewing skills to women in order to empower and equip them to earn a living. I will always remember her smile when we took a picture of her proudly standing in the front of her shop, all done up and right on the main street. You could tell she was so proud of her accomplishment, yet so humble at the same time. I believe one of the reasons Fount of Mercy has been successful is because of their dedication to support indigenous African organizations’ capacity to provide educational, vocational and public health opportunities for the orphans, vulnerable children and caregivers in their communities. I feel very honored to have been a part of Fount of Mercy's work in Uganda.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Traveling to Uganda and meeting several of the women whose lives have been changed and enhanced due to the work of Fount of Mercy.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I would like to see Fount of Mercy be able to have more PR and updates on the work that is being done. I believe with more funding this would expand their ability to do this.
I have been aware of Fount of Mercy and their work for the past five to six years, specifically with Sewing Hope. I find this program a fantastic out-reach program to empower women in the Jinga Uganda area to be self reliant. The training that is offered to these women is a wonderful opporunity for them to learn a trade which will not only benefit them, but it beneifts their family directly. It enables these women to provide basic necessities to their families and people that rely on them.
I visited Jinga for two weeks in Dec/Jan 2011 and have seen for myself the results of the training these women have received. I had the priviledge to visit with some of the women who are making clothes for people in and around some of the villages including their families. I was there to attend my daughters wedding and several of the ladies attending the wedding from the US were wearing dresses made by women who were trained by Sewing Hope. I was priviledged enough to be able to visit their shops and see directly the materials and pictures they have on their walls that show the clothes a customer can choose from. It's amazing the clothes they can make using manual sewing machines. I was very impressed with their work and dedication to their work.
The staff of Sewing Hope has provided an exeptional opportunity for these women who have little means of supporting themselves to learn a trade. Sewing Hope's volunteers, most from the Garment District in NYC, have experience in making different type of clothes and accessories and have shared their experitise with these African women, from dresses and purses to accessories. A rare opportunity for these women to have such high quality training and expertise.
I am very excited to have had the opportunity to see for myself the benefits of having Fount of Mercy sponsor Sewing Hope and the training they provide.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Jinja Uganda, visiting with the permanent, full time Fount of Mercy and Sewing Hope staff who live there.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
N/A
I spent the month of January volunteering with Fount of Mercy in Jinja, Uganda. I have been involved on the state side of things for about a year, but really didn't know how much FOM does until I was able to be there in Uganda and see it first hand. I worked mostly with the director of the Community Health Initiative to write and direct short skits that taught really important lessons about safe sex, living with HIV/AIDS and the problems that young girls face with dangerous "sugar daddies". We had several Ugandan youth that helped us translate the skits and also act in them. We then took the skits to several different day camps. After performing them we would have an question and answer session with the kids. It was awesome. One day we had about 50 girls that were able to ask very important questions about puberty, hygiene and their bodies. They were so gracious and thankful to us for letting them talk freely and openly about these subjects. I think they were just really glad that they could get some answers. Fount of Mercy is run by some very dedicated, hard working people. I am so impressed with how many different programs they are running. I think that there is a lot of room to grow in the community health initiative and I think they are on the right track. FOM inspires and encourages the people that they work with to have hope for a better life. They want to work hand in hand with the people in the communities and educate them in things that they can use to support their families. It doesn't feel like a charity. It feels like a family of people that truly love and inspire eachother. There is still so much that can and will be done. We have been talking about doing some programs for teenagers and women that address women's health issues. And developing reusable feminine hygiene products which would be life changing for so many women. I can't wait to go back and continue working with them. It was a totally life changing experience for me. I feel so blessed to have been a part of it.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I got to know a few of our Ugandan translators very well. One girl's name is Rita. She has been helping with FOM camps for about a year. She is 20 years old and grew up in an orphanage in Uganda. She repeatedly told me that she is "the luckiest one" because she is learning so much from the Fount of Mercy staff. Volunteering with the Community Health Initiative has inspired Rita to go to nursing school. She wants to continue to learn and educate her community about things she has learned from the camps.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
It is hard for me to think of something to put right here, because I honestly can't think of anything I would really change. I think that Fount of Mercy is lacking the PR that it needs to get the regular donations that it needs to survive and grow. I think that if more people in the states were aware of the great things going on in Uganda, it would make a big difference. FOM has a small staff and there is so much to do, I don't think that advertising and fundraising are very high on the priority list.
As part of my second year of graduation school, I worked with Fount of Mercy for six months in Jinja, Uganda. Fount of Mercy is a fabulous organization that not only supports local indigenous organizations but also strongly supports women and their professional development. In every program, Fount works hard to include women in their work. One project I spent significant time providing monitoring and evaluation skills with was the Bread Basket Project. This project provides an employment opportunity for village women, many are widows, to come together and bake bread. They sell this bread in the villagers and use the proceeds to put back into their children’s community school. This employment opportunity not only provides extra income to these women, but also brings these women together to share in their difficulties and also helps to support their children in receiving an education they might not otherwise be able to afford. I would highly recommend Fount of Mercy to anyone who is either interested in volunteering with Fount or are looking for a new organization to donate his or her personal money. It is a fabulous organization that supports local women in every aspect of their work.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
seeing women feel empowered to continue working hard to bake bread in order to increase their income and provide funds to their community school.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
slowly continue to seek funds to expand their current work with local community-based organizations that supports gender mainstreaming.
I have loved working with FOM and being a part of such a fantastic growing organization. The philosophy they operate from is one that I feel very strongly about and that is teaching and empowering the people to help themselves, creating sustainability, rather than just relief aid. The programs they have initiated, have shown that the philosophy works. For instance the Bread Basket program, Sewing Hope and other programs that teach the women to produce a product that is usable, and needed, thereby giving them the capacity to make an income and sustain the means to make that income. The Community Health Initiative gives them knowledge about ongoing health issues that are specific to them, and helps them learn ways to prevent and treat medical and health issues, that without that knowledge, could be part of the death or decline of a society. It was so exciting to witness the women's excitement about new knowledge, new skills and new friends! And to know that beyond a shadow of a doubt, a difference really is being made in their lives!
Photos
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Witnessing the growth of women in the villages. Growth in sustainability, knowledge about themselves, their health and surroundings, skills, social interaction and empowerment in the all these areas, in the women of the villages I participated in.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Be sure each and every individual that volunteers is thoroughly evaluated and placed according to his or her strengths and capabilities. Not that I saw it as a fault, by any means, but just by the way I was screened and used, I felt like it made a huge difference in what I was able to contribute. So in a sense, the process used with me was a plus and if it is done on every volunteer, it would be a bigger plus!
Traveling to Uganda was a first for me. It all came together very quickly. I had decided, planned, and got to Africa within a months time. Fount of Mercy's employee, Rebecca, was SUCH a help in making me feel comfortable about traveling and answering questions in a very prompt manner. Once I got there, I found that everything was planned out for me and receiving a daily schedule was great to know what I was going to be doing that day. It was nice, at night, to always have the option to join the group for a dinner so you didn't feel alone. As for the volunteering portion, I enjoyed being there to help the men and women. i'm assuming it's because I planned my trip in such a short period of time, but I wish I would've been told what exactly I needed to know and bring to the table for our classes that we taught. I felt that I had a lot to offer but I ended up being a "translator" for a good portion of the time because I specifically do my pattern making a different way than the rest of the group. I do think, in the future, it would be great to add some sort of design/art class to it to build upon the basic techniques of patternmaking and sewing to make each tailor unique. I would love to volunteer with that. Overall, Fount of Mercy (Sewing Hope) is an amazing organization with great leaders. I am confident that in a few years, when all kinks are ironed out, that this will grow to be a truly impactful organization for Uganda and other countries.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Hearing about some of our students who have started their own businesses because of our teachings.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Take an assessment of everyone's strengths before traveling to know exactly what people can bring to the table.
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