Latest achievements and updates from the Pearl Community Empowermen​t Foundation

Three years ago, I took a risk. I started by supporting 18 girls in my own village by connecting them with mentors from across the globe who also support their education. Today we are supporting 103 girls and 5 boys in over 27 villages; 10 sub-counties and two districts of Tororo and Buteleja, eastern Uganda.

We are proud to inform you that all the 37 girls currently seeking sponsorship and mentorship opportunities http://pce-foundation.org/rgcm-applicants under the Rural Girl Child Mentorship (RGCM) project have been funded for the last two terms, we received donations from individuals from across the globe to support their education for these two terms – in the last 7 months. This support has not only given them education opportunity but also saved them from the pressures of early marriages, sugar daddies' influence and bad peer influence in their respective villages.

One Andera Franciska 17 who was chased out of home using a panga by her father, forced to get married says that she is a very lucky girl to be educated. ”I don’t agree with my father, marriage is a waste of time and life without education. I am so lucky to be in school.”

Another great news is that we were recently selected funding for a Holiday Camp for Girls During School Breaks by Amplify and the UKAid ( https://openideo.com/challenge/womens-safety/evaluation/holiday-mentorin... ). This is a series of structured life-skills camps to be held during school holiday breaks in Kampala and Tororo that will help 170 girls of of Namwongo and rural Tororo and Buteleja districts avoid exploitation, build self-confidence, and explore their dreams for the future. 120 girls will be selected from the low income urban (slum) areas of Namuwongo, Bukasa parish, Makindye division, Kampala and 50 girls from Tororo and Buteleja districts where we are currently operating.

We are still looking for sponsorship and mentors for the 37 girls (http://pce-foundation.org/rgcm-applicants) and funds to cover their school fees for this coming third term (September - December) and the following years. These girls are mainly orphans due to mainly HIV/AIDS who are living with their elderly grandparent(s) or other relatives, or on their own, those whose parents are currently living with HIV and the girls who come from the poorest families and are not able to attend secondary schools and tertiary education without support.

We are also already looking for local and international volunteers, partners, trainers and mentors who could provide these girls with life skills, entrepreneurship and leadership skills for the Holiday Camp for Girls During School Breaks project which kicks off this October 2014. The actual Camps and trainings are scheduled for December 2014- January 2015, April –May and August – September, December 2015 and January 2016.

We also take this opportunity to acknowledge our national and international visitors who have visited with us and our projects in these 3 years. These include researchers, trainers, volunteers, mentors and visitors. 16 visitors (3 locals and 13 internationals) have visited with us this half of the year already. In total,33 international visitors and 16 nationals have visited with our projects since 2012. The community we support are always delighted to have the visitors who bring knowledge and skills to the community and also tour/reach their homes.

If you are not yet following with us on facebook please "like" our pages for updates;
RGCM project: https://www.facebook.com/RGCMUganda
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pearl-Community-Empowerment-PCE-Foundatio...?

Please contact us if you are interested in supporting any of the above initiatives.

The Pearl Community Empowerment Foundation (PCE Foundation) - www.pce-foundation.org is a Ugandan national rural development and empowerment NGO (REG No S.5914/9510), currently operating in rural communities of the Tororo and Buteleja districts in Eastern Uganda.

PCE Foundation was founded in 2011 to empower rural communities through dynamic but simple programs that directly involve and benefit community members, especially women and children.

Our mission is to enhance knowledge and skills within rural communities and to promote the exchange of information and best practices through education, mentorship, advocacy and strategic partnerships for social, cultural and economic development. We seek to break the cycle of poverty and empower communities to take charge of their own development.

Our organization’s emphasis on community participation and leadership helps community members work together, “own” the achievements facilitated by our programs, and sustain positive change.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Kind regards,
Beatrice Achieng Nas