Welcome to the 2oth edition of the POSHU Newsletter
The aim of this newsletter is to raise greater awareness of the work POSHU is doing, to keep regular supporters informed and to outline how supporters (new and old) can help.
In 2009, Australian woman, Susan Howe founded POSHU. The organisation is a registered fundraiser based in Victoria, Australia, and is recognised as a Community Based Organisation in Uganda. Encompassing rural, urban, and remote areas of Uganda, POSHU works with groups of women impacted by violence and poverty, affected by HIV/AIDS, and internally displaced persons (IDP).
As well as the generosity of POSHU’s many supporters, the project is grounded in Susan’s personal funds. Currently POSHU operates women’s education classes in 16 villages in Kumi, Bukedea, Palisa, Katakwi, Moroto and Njeru.
Funds raised go towards health care, school fees for children, vegetable seed, sports and more. In addition, funded projects involve teaching women literacy in English and local language, mathematics, sewing, crafs, and agriculture.
Over time, many groups have transitioned from training programs to independent Friends of POSHU Sewing Co-operatives. These transitions bring liberating and autonomous skills to individuels who can earn an income from sewing. Despite the challenges of covid, POSHU continues to succesfully provide support to many projects.
2023 Progress
The first half of 2023 has been a productive one for POSHU
POSHU Vegetable Seed Distribution:
It’s raining now in Uganda and women are busy planting beans and maize in their gardens. There are no tractors, everyone digs with a hoe and its hard work.
In March we bought tins of eggplant and squimawich greens in the town, then sent them by bus to 15 remote villages in our POSHU Project. Quality vegetable seed is not available for these women, but they know how to grow vegetable seed is not available for these women, but they know how to grow vegetables which are an important part of their diet.
Each woman in our project received 2 teaspoons of vegetable seed to plant in her home garden, enough to share with her extended family too. Already women are picking eggplant from last year’s plants when not much else is ready. We also sent sacks of casaba cuttings north to Moroto Poshu groups for them to plant. The rain this season has been good, and harvest looks promising.
POSHU Disability Support:
In 2021 we distributed goats to mothers caring for a child with disability, and their goats have multiplied. Many mothers now have 7 goats! Soon they plan to sell the goats and buy cows which will provide milk for their families.
POSHU Trip to Cure Children’s Hospital:
In April we hired the minibus and took another 8 children to the Children’s Hospital for review and medicine. The bus picks them up near their home at 7am and brings them home again around 7 pm, it’s a long day, but mothers are so grateful to their donors and hospital staff.
Children do exercises with the physiotherapist, and mothers learn the importance of nutrition for their child. It’s a long day for the mothers and their children, but so good to have this specialised treatment available for children with hydrocephalus, spina bifida and cerebral palsy.
We ordered another walking frame for a 10-year old boy. This will help him to get stronger and hopefully learn to walk one day. Our POSHU teamwork with the mothers in their villages to continue with the exercises. The hospital gives mosquito nets and free treatment. POSHU provides breakfast, lunch and a food parcel to the mothers when they go home.
School support continues:
In June we will pay Term 2 school fees for 22 children. POSHU supports school fees for needy children who would not be able to afford to access and education.
We also provide exercise books, pens, sports balls, and school uniforms. Pictured is a collection of the Orapada students who benefit from the educational support provided by POSHU.
POSHU teachers lend out our Math and English books to children so they can learn at home.
POSHU Sewing Classes:
Every POSHU sewing teacher has welcomed school leavers into their class, and most teach them on separate days to the older women.
For most of these girls, this is their only opporunity to continue their education and learn an income generating skill.
Week 1: They learn to take measurements for sewing a dress. Skills they learn from sewing are transferrable to other fields too.
In March, all the sewing machines in this village were repaired and maintained for the POSHU sewing class. Students make a small contribution towards the cost of spare parts and labour, and they learn to take good care of the sewing machines.