Watoto's mission to empower women in Uganda through business, the story of Emily Muller

''This year I had the opportunity to go to Uganda and see Watoto’s projects first hand, including a project called Living Hope. I went out on a community visit, to meet some of the women who were a part of the program and living in a slum in Kampala. As I was introduced to different mothers in that community and spent time listening to their stories, I was struck by a haunting contrast. The women who I met that had the opportunity to be a part of our program and had learnt skills like sewing or jewellery making to help generate an income had this incredible sense of hope and confidence about them. They were providing for their families, connecting with others in the community and doing something they loved. The mothers I met who had not had this opportunity… words can’t describe the emptiness in their eyes. I can’t begin to imagine trying to care for several children and make an income. I can’t imagine not being able to treat my child’s illnesses. I could understand that emptiness… that hole where hope belonged. This fired me up. More than ever I wanted to help each and everyone one of them, but I could not do it alone.

About six months later our head office in Uganda contacted our Australian office with an urgent need. 450 mothers were about to graduate from the program. As a team, we saw the opportunity to join together and raise funds to empower each of these women with the physical tools they needed to generate an income once they’d graduated from the program. In September, we launched Graduate to Greatness on Chuffed and began raising funds to make this possible. It’s been overwhelming to see the number of men and women across Australia who have stood beside our women in Uganda and we can’t wait to see the impact these gifts make.''

To read more about the empowerment of women in Uganda, please visit the link below: