Alexis and Brian visited this project on May 6th, 2009. They write:

In one of the poorest areas of Uganda is a community which has been deeply ravaged by AIDS. In our short time here we have seen the destruction of AIDS manifested in the many grave sites at every home and the scores of widows and orphans that have been left behind. But, for the widows of this project, GlobalGiving has provided a better life. During our visit we saw that through this project, widows have found solace in community, developed skills for coping, and obtained resources to become self-reliant; they have truly been empowered.

The first funds contributed through GlobalGiving were used to construct a center, which has created a vibrant community, in which widows can support each other. Also, GlobalGiving funds have been invested in several projects which alleviate the severe financial struggles of widows. Several of the women we spoke with had no source of income before this project. Today, some widows are raising goats, others are growing vegetables, and others still are being trained in tailoring and dressmaking. To support these women, GlobalGiving has funded 32 goats, six sewing machines, and enough seeds for 18 gardens. Six of the goats have given birth, and most of the others are pregnant. This project has chosen to have the first offspring of every goat be given to another member, thus expanding the impact. This program has further alleviated the economic burden of these widows by paying for many of the school related costs for the orphans which many of the women are raising. Finally, this project provides long term survival skills (through GlobalGiving Project #2175: Training the Trainers) for those widows suffering from HIV/AIDS, helping them live long and healthy lives.

We have no words to describe the inspiration we felt while watching this project change, and even save, lives. This visit moved us to tears, and showed us the true power of community. We have no doubt this project is, and will continue to be, successful. RARUDO, the community based organization that runs this project, has big plans on the horizon, including several projects which will be coming to GlobalGiving, which will benefit the orphans, disabled, and needy members of the community. We encourage you to keep an eye out for these projects, and continue to follow the great work of this organization.

When asked what they would tell their friends about this project, Alexis and Brian said, “Incredible: You need to see this!”

GlobalGiving is committed to incorporating many viewpoints on our 600+ projects. We feel that more information, especially from eyewitnesses helps donors like you continue to support organizations doing great work in the community.

Pictures:

• women_with_donuts.jpg (JPG)

Marci Varley recently visited a RARUDO project to empower AIDS widows in Uganda. She wrote:

I arrived in Tororo town the night before my visit to Rayland Rural Development Organization (RARUDO) and was warmly welcomed by Mr. Joseph Onyango, the Executive Director and Founder of RARUDO. We sat together for about an hour so that he could tell me more about the organization which is non-denominational and non-partisan and hopes to "help the community (his hometown of Tororo) to stand on its own." Joseph founded RARUDO in 1997 because he "wanted to form a group of people to help, support and educate all of those in need." He truly wants to give all of those in need a chance to dream of a future, something many people in the developing world never do. Currently, RARUDO supports 240 children and 60 women; and, since 2007, has incorporated a local group of disabled and elderly people into the group (25 women and 15 men).

On Friday morning, we headed to the office in a rural village outside Tororo town to meet with other members of the organization...both those working to help the community and members of the community being assisted by the organization. As we approached the office, a group of about 10 women danced out of the main door singing a welcome song followed by other songs of appreciation and thanks as well as songs about the scourge of HIV/AIDS, their worries and their hopes of a better future. It was such a beautifully, traditional welcome that warmed my heart and definitely started the visit off on the right foot. (The attached picture is of the women singing another song as they re-entered the office and formally welcomed me. All of these woman have received aid from RARUDO.)
Several of Joseph's colleagues spoke about their work with RARUDO and even described how the organization helped them in years past. They outlined the projects of RARUDO which include, but are never limited to: training farmers in sustainability; distributing goats for sustainability projects; trainings and support on agriculture and livestock rearing; teaching long-term HIV/AIDS survival skills (through trained HIV/AIDS counselors within the group); sensitizing/teaching communities on avoiding/living with AIDS (through trainings and drama performances); building new homes to provide healthy living environments; distributing mosquito nets; running a vocational school for women and orphans (teaching tailoring and other domestic works such as baking in their new fuel-efficient oven for income sustainability); distributing scholastic materials and fees to orphans; and generally supporting the poorest of the poor (orphans, elderly, widows, widowers and disabled).

In addition to hearing about these projects, I also heard from a few of the community members who have received assistance from the organization. One AIDS widow, named Azeresi Achieng, even performed a monologue to describe her journey since learning of her own HIV status...her feelings of fear and solitude and how she overcame those feelings with the help of RARUDO and found strength to move forward. Ms. Achieng's initial thoughts were "where did this come from? it's all over the country and all over the world; everyone, even doctors are suffering; and no one knows where it came from" and she even thought that she should kill her children so that when she is gone, they don't suffer. However, with the help of RARUDO's trained counselors, she learned that she could live a happy and healthy life with HIV and now sees how "life, in so many ways, is good." The organization has aided her in several ways including teaching her how to stay healthy and training her in tailoring, but most importantly, RARUDO provided emotional support that truly helped her to get past her initial reactions and gain the strength to survive.

As I said my goodbyes and left the office, Joseph translated the song that was being sung by the women: RARUDO is a symbol of development and hope within a community of widows, orphans, disabled and elderly people. The group works together to support and counsel each other and are partners in the development that uplifts the community. RARUDO tells youth to study and work hard, to be safe and to know about HIV. The women will not stop singing, but will always tell others about RARUDO's work and continue to do what they can to be a part of that good work.

My visit with Joseph and all of the members of RARUDO is one that I will never forget. The work they have done in the community is inspiring and as I left them I felt myself wanting to be a better person.

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Marci said, "Incredible! You need to see this!"

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Pictures:

• RARUDO women sing of hope, and sing to curb the spread of AIDS (JPG)

Last October, we visited the Rayland Rural Development Organization in Uganda, a community we are helping toward economic sustainability. Lynde Francis, from The Centre Zimbabwe, was inside the vocational training center teaching about 50 people “Long Term Survival Skills for HIV.” I went to see the new bakery -- powered by charcoal fire since there is no electricity in this village. That’s when I saw the starving young woman and her baby. The baby was tiny and listless. The mother was too malnourished to produce milk for the baby.

In rural villages, this image of mother and child is far too common. I greeted her and shook her hand in the Ugandan way. Our good friend Joseph, who runs the RARUDO project, and I agreed that we had to help this person who was in our path. Within 24 hours we had medicine, safe housing, a bed, blanket, food and supplies for the baby. We learned the woman had been starved and beaten by her husband. She had head wounds and a broken leg from being thrown. She had returned to her village, but had no family to help her. The women we trained will look after her – even though they told me they see many like her every day.

Pictures:

• Washing dishes (JPG)
• Cooking (JPG)
• Even the very young must help out (JPG)

Dear Friends.

I send you greetings and appreciation from RARUDO members upon your donation.
On behalf of the members allow me say thank you for your generous support.
The members agreed to buy goats and distributed to the Orphans.
With the donation, we bought 32 cross-bred goats for milk and the children who received goats in this round will raise and pass the first offspring to their friends who did not get the first circle and it will continue until all the children receive the goat gift project.
The goat will provide milk to the orphans and vulnerable children thus improving child’s nutrition aspect.

Then the second offspring will be brought back to the organisation who will pass it to other members who were identified and reached during our last Long term HIVAIDS Survival Skills sensitisation and training, this will include disabled and other women groups.
We are also setting up a local bakery out of mud to bake buns to earn some income in addition to our agricultural activities which at least will help us supporting these orphans, PWLAs, and widows.
We sought so because we think it may bring us quick returns to arrest some of our situation of inadequate funding.
We shall be implementing other programmes one at a time as funds may dictate.

Thank you very much and may God bless you .
My heartfelt greetings to you all and my love to all friends.

Mr.Onyango Joseph
Executive Director

Pictures:

• New goats! (JPEG)

The women of this impoverished area have now trained hundreds of other women in HIV long term surival skills ... inlcuding prevention, health and nutrition, the use of local indigenous foods and herbs, women's empowerment and given hope to so many. They have incorporated the disabled group into RARUDO. But they need so much more help to continue.

Pictures:

• Training the trainers! (JPG)
• Baby attends the workshop! (JPG)

The Rayland Rural Development Organization recently completed construction of a new vocational/training center in their small village. They did this with the help of donors and local government. RARUDO has also been able to purchase and install 10 sewing machines to begin training in tailoring in addition to their work in agriculture and organic farming.

In a region devastated by AIDS, these rural widows have joined their small plots of land to form an organic farming co-op. They need equipment and training to pull themselves and their children out of poverty. Presently, we have trained twenty widows in Long Term Survivor Skills in HIV/AIDS and they are in turn training others in their community. We have sent six AIDS widows for training in tailoring and they are now operating their own businesses and together the group has begun construction of a training center in their small village which will operate along with government aid to provide skill training for the local community. The group has also purchased bicycles to reach remote homesteads to train in HIV prevention and education.

Pictures:

• Demonstrating a female condom (BMP)
• Training center under construction (BMP)
• Bikes! (BMP)