The Women of Ngiyo Ber

The women of Ngiyo Ber are valiant and intelligent, some serious, some funny, some shy, some out-going. They all are hard-working and determined to make their lives and their children’s lives better.

When Give Us Wings first met the women of Ngiyo Ber they were living in the slums of Bison, Uganda. Many had been farmers in northern Uganda. But they had been forced to flee south to escape the war and famine that has been raging in northern Uganda for decades. Most of the women’s husbands had died from famine or been killed.  The core of the Ngiyo Ber group found each other roaming in the bush with their children searching for food and shelter. They formed a loose group and settled together in the Bison slum of Tororo, Uganda.

The group grew as other women and their families joined them. When Give Us Wings met them in 2000, there were 35 members of the group. Some were sleeping outside, some living in rented 9” x 8” rooms with up to 17 others. The weak structures leak. There is little or no furniture and there are no coverings on the windows. Mosquitoes, flies, and rodents are plentiful. Their hungry children scrounged for food on the streets during the day. At night, there often were up to 10 people trying to sleep on one foam mattress or on the damp dirt floor in this tiny space. Their only source of income was selling “home brew” that they made in their homes.  The potent, unpleasant smelling concoction was stored in large, open, plastic buckets. The stench that emanated from the buckets was overwhelming.

As they dared to dream of a future together, we helped them to make plans for new homes and new lives.

For the past 10 years, Give Us Wings has worked with these women as they struggled to develop their community. This group has set goals, shared funds, cared for each other, and envisioned a more promising future. Their shared experience and their fierce determination to make better lives for their children have prepared them to build a new life.

Their Successes

Thanks to the support of Give Us Wings’ donors and the community’s hard work, thirty-two women and their families in Tororo, Uganda made their dreams a reality when they moved into 250 sq. ft. brick homes in 2008.

The women and Give Us Wings initiated a care network to support business leadership, health education, and organic farming programs.

The women of Ngiyo Ber became landowners, successful farmers, and proud homeowners working to support their families.

With your help, and their hard work, these women and their children have moved into a life of health, self-sufficiency and safety!