In 2012, Advantage Africa and SPAU helped the community of Gobero, Wakiso District, to form a single parents’ group of 44 women and 6 men. Each single parent cares for an average of five children, including adopted orphans. The group elected Aisha Nassunna as leader, as well as a small committee to ensure effective running of their activities. In July 2012, the group had four days training to learn about basic poultry management. These training sessions helped team spirit and unity amongst the single parents to blossom, steadily dispelling former feelings of isolation and depression.

At the end of the training, each of the parents was given 60 day-old chicks, drinking and feeding troughs and materials to build poultry houses. They were also shown how to give their poultry their first inoculations. SPAU continued to work closely with the group to monitor the health of the livestock and in December 2012 the hens started to lay their first eggs. Since early 2013, egg production has increased significantly and as well as helping raise an income, the eggs are providing an important nutritional boost for each family. The single parents have grown in confidence and are in a much better position to meet their families’ basic needs for food, medicine and school materials.

Annet is 55 and cares for 6 grandchildren and orphans aged 14 and under. She says:

I think there are many benefits from the poultry project. Before, one could not convince me enough of these benefits, but after seeing for myself now, I think poultry is gold.

 At the end of 2012, the Gobero single parents’ group members took part in a week’s training on Memory Work, helping them to cope with the psychological impact of HIV and AIDS and to prepare practically for the future. With the training complete, the single parents are equipped to support and advise other members of the community affected by HIV.

Malaria is a major cause of sickness and death throughout Uganda and, in October 2012, the fifty single parent families and fifty further vulnerable households took part in training on malaria prevention and how to install and maintain mosquito nets. With the training complete, each household received sufficient insecticide-treated nets to protect each family member.

You can read Advantage Africa's report to the Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission which kindly funded this work on the life-changing impact of the project.