Dear Friends and Supporters,
We write to you at the end of a year which has seen WOMA reach a new milestone – we have now recruited more than 50 women to take part in our sponsored training programmes!
As we write this, six more Ugandan women have been selected to attend the Namasuba College in Kampala, while in Kenya a new training bursary has enabled Florence to begin her tailoring and fashion design course at the prestigious Buru Buru School of Arts.
We have benefited from having Karen “on the ground” in Africa, and she has been able to find out first hand how the training courses have helped the women to develop skills and make themselves infinitely more secure financially.
In August, she went to Kampala to meet some of the tailoring graduates.
Estha Nabunya is now employed making school uniforms and doing basic repairs, while Teddy Nabakooza has ventured into the traditional garment market.
When Karen met her, she was modelling one of her splendid designs!
The women exchanged stories in the lush gardens of NGEN+ (our partner organisation who have helped us manage the support programmes locally) – where
Major Ruranga and our volunteers Margaret Adoko and Ruth Nesobar have worked tirelessly to the support the WOMA initiatives.
One of the spin-off benefits of the WOMA training is that all of the women we interviewed now have opened their own bank accounts. This would have been unthinkable in the past, but now that the women have started earning modest amounts, they are putting money into their accounts to pay for their children’s school fees, vital medicines, household goods etc!
None of this could have been possible without you, and we thank you once again for your continued support 🙂
FUND-RAISING
Our heartfelt thanks to those of you who have taken part in a variety of fundraising events this year, ranging from sponsored bike rides and runs, plus art, jewellery and greeting card sales etc.
Please do all that you can to take part in more of these sorts of activities on WOMA’s behalf and encourage your friends too – they are an invaluable source of funds!
WOMA WEBSITE
The WOMA website has undergone a dramatic facelift thanks to the hard work of Lorraine Jordan. It has dramatically improved our ability to showcase WOMA’s work with the women who make this project so worthwhile. WOMA would like to say a heartfelt thank to Ed Wright, who designed our first website and has maintained it for us for the past five years.
SOME SAD NEWS….
Regrettably 2010 has also brought with it sadness. Doreen Thobekile, the hugely talented South African diva who has taken to the stage at virtually every WOMA event, died in June following a battle with cancer. She will of course be sorely missed, but her footprint will remain.
Karen was able to visit Doreen’s cousin Mariliyn and 92 year old mother Violet in South Africa in recent weeks. Both have promised to keep Doreen’s link to WOMA alive…. and our next WOMA fundraising event is going to be dedicated to Doreen.
FUNDRAISING EVENT
Please start the New Year with WOMA in mind by joining us on Friday 7th January from 7.30pm at:
Chalk Farm Road
Camden Town
London NW1 8EH
During the evening you’ll be able to hear a great mix of cross cultural sounds from right across Africa.
Entry fee = £15. All profits will go directly to WOMA.
In the meantime please don’t spend all of your Christmas money!
Why not make a New Year’s resolution to become a regular donor to WOMA – having a regular flow of income would help us to plan more efficiently for the months ahead.
It’s easy to set up a standing order with your bank using the following details.
WOMA
Barclays Bank, Camden Branch
Sort code 20-44-86
Account Number 50128678
Or you can donate via the Justgiving website.
http://www.justgiving.com/woma
Here’s wishing you all a VERY Happy Christmas from everyone at WOMA!
See you on the 7th at the Roundhouse!