Feature

Poem Two Wheels many uses

News Uganda Family meeting 11/2012

Feature The journey to our dreams

Voices 1 2 3

shared challenges

Special features

⇒ The journey to our

Dreams

⇒ Getting the most

from Bicycles

⇒ A bicycle means

alot

Uganda-Focus Beneficiaries need for recognition and active participation from sup-porting Organizations "Just give people a way to walk so that

eventually they can run, and then you'll see them dance. Some of them will even

fly." -Rita Bright

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Voices newsletter 2012Voices newsletter 2012Voices newsletter 2012Voices newsletter 2012

WELCOMING MESSAGE FROM EDITORIAL DESK

W elcome to the first edition of our newsletter The VOICES and

congratulations to all our members from the wheels4life family-

Uganda for the winning suggestion of coming up with this

newsletter. This newsletter is expected to bring feedback from our interested

readers for improved future stories and regular features.

In our first edition you can read about some of the great work so far done by

the wheels4life family Uganda under the assistance of WHEELS4LIFE- USA.

You will learn more about the many achievements during the past year (s) and

also read about interesting stories from our beneficiaries from different parts of

Uganda. We urge everyone in the wheels4life family– Uganda to take the time

to think about how we can increase our donor support not only from wheel4life

USA but also from other charities both in and outside the country and also

think about the “value for money” received from our supporters.

For our readers, be sure to check out page (3,4 and 5 ) for some exciting news

and poems from our beneficiaries from Uganda.

Finally, enjoy the newsletter and please give us more and more support to uplift

the living standards of those in need. Special thanks go to wheels4life USA , the

individuals and companies that have always contributed to our work.

Thank you so much. We look forward to sharing more great news from Uganda

with you.

Editorial Team

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Mr. Bukenya Muusa

Mrs. Juliet Nakanjakko

Mr. Ntambi Abubaker

For more information

Contact us

+256 701973617 Email:judemuleke@yahoo.com

Voices newsletter 2012Voices newsletter 2012Voices newsletter 2012Voices newsletter 2012

MESSAGE FROM WHEELS4LIFE AMBASSODAR- UGANDA

A s 2012 draws to the end of its first half, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the past year’s efforts and congratulate each of you on what has been significant in

your respective groups in view of improving peoples wellbeing. Your sustained hard work, dedication and

commitment with the support from wheels4life USA have been fundamental to the wheels4life- Uganda’s

success. I would also like to acknowledge the enduring commitment and support of wheels4life USA who

represent the true backbone of all our activities in Uganda since 2007 to date.

Am sure we have registered a number of significant milestones and made great progress on the way to-

wards making ourselves a big and admirable initiative aiming at improving the livelihoods of our local peo-

ple here in Uganda. Thanks to wheels4life USA

This has been possible through the implementation of our plans and shared service programs, improving

communication and collaboration across the groups and realigning our wheels4life Ugandan family to take

advantage of the opportunities available to make our respective groups move on in line with our vision ,

mission and objectives.

We must acknowledge the smile brought to the cheeks of our local beneficiaries – thanks to the support

from wheels4life USA. You will read more about this in the stories told by the beneficiaries.

As we look forward to another successful year I would like to urge you to work hard by taking time to

adequately plan and put the funds received to proper use bearing in mind our slogan of “value for money”

and be ever mindful of the risks you may encounter on your way to making other peoples life better. I urge

you to share with each other the opportunities there are so that each group grows bigger and bigger to

humanity.

I look forward to seeing each group actively participating in all the coming editions of our newsletter with

enthusiasm as we work together to build a stronger coalition and a sustainable future for us all. I congratu-

late you on a job well done. Thank you.

Jude Muleke

Wheels4life Ambassador - Uganda

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WHEELS4LIFE– UGANDAN FAMILY

Adong Susan from Gulu.

Uganda has for the last 26 years registered a steady economic growth. In 2011, Uganda grew at a rate of 6.4% of GDP. Poverty levels have also dropped from 31% (2006) to 24.5% (2011). However, progress on child wellbeing is not automatic even with the economic growth. Without sig-nificant efforts, many developing countries will miss the child related Millennium Development Goal (MDGs). According to Andrew Kasagga-(COPI Team Leader) children are invisible in many socio-political spaces that debate their interests and needs. This could be the underlying reason for the failure to meet child related MDGs.

Access to clean safe water in Uganda only stands at 56% (UBOS; 2011). Quality and retention of pu-

pils and teachers in primary schools is the major challenges in education. Reasons for school dropout range from access, cost and the need to supplement family incomes. Malaria and access to quality health services remain a major issue in the country. In Masuliita, we have witnessed a number of poverty challenges including food insecurity, excessive consumption of alcohol by mainly the men, inaccessible basic services particularly medical care, edu-cation services and markets. Children are the major victims of all these socio-economic problems. This manifests itself in forms of domestic abuse, limited care and support, child labor, ill-health and school dropout. We are aware that Government of Uganda constituted a number of legal and institutional frameworks such as the UN Convention of rights of the children (1990), Uganda Constitution (1995), OVC policy (2004), the child Act (2003), etc. These aim at protecting children. But in-spite of these well inten-tioned policy documents, children continue to suffer consequences of poverty and abuse. Aware of the problems COPI a voluntary Non-Governm ental founded in 2009, by a team of people with varying professional capacities driven by the poverty situation of vulnerable chil-dren of this nation. COPI envisions ‘A society with happy and well served orphans and vulnera-ble children (OVCs) The mission of the organizatio n is ‘to promote child focused development practices that respond to the needs of OVCs through child voices, capacity enhancement and action research.

With the help from Wheels4life COPI has distributed 70 bicycles to vulnerable children in Nakatun-da; Masuliita. These bikes are meant to improve their lifestyle. Children use the bikes to collect

water, food, market agricultural products, for transport to school and access basic social services. COPI has supported 7 children to stay in school. Annet Nansamire a senior 5 student supported by COPI uses the bicycle occasionally (whenever late for school). Annet is taken to school located 3km away whenever she is late by her cousin brother who currently does not attend school.

Voices newsletter 2012

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The Journey to our Dreams

Getting the most from my Bicycle

Voices News letter 2012

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My name is Betty Otoo 37 year a widow and peer counselor in my village Acet (Gulu District). I would like to greatly thank Wheels4 life and VAC-NET for providing us free bikes that have changed our lives, I received my Bike in Sep-tember 2011, and this bike has brought an indis-putable change into our family. Apart from me using the bike to attend weekly reproductive health meetings, I use my Bike to transport greens which I plant in my garden to the market and in return I buy posho (Cone) for my children this has never happened before I got this bike. My son John Bosco uses the bike to go to school and on the same rout he carries our milk to diary where we sell and get some money. The bike which was given to me turned to be a great tool within our family the change we are realizing within the few months are great and I assume that all those who benefitted are experiencing the same. I wish to greatly thank wheel4 Life and VAC-NET for this great support to our family and pray that this great project be extended to more ben-eficiaries

Thank you and God Bless your work

Betty Otto-

VAC-NET is a grass-roots non-profit organization situ-ated in Gulu. It was founded

in 2005 by a group of commit-ted members who leave and serve in the region, they real-ized the worsening situation of the rural poor, especially

women who are adversely af-fected by the Social – Eco-nomic imbalance and yet

constitute a greater labour force for production

Betty Otto Bicycle beneficiary from Gulu And a community peer counselor

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Voices News latter 2012

Supporting children through education has a direct benefit, and children’s contribution is evi-dent in all communities. CODNET a community based initiative in Masaka supports children by

facilitating their transport need for easy access to schools which are normally in far distant areas something that affects their performances in class. With support from Wheels4 Life COD-

NET has distributed 45 bikes to children and community members in Masaka District. Among the beneficiaries Kavuma Ronald and Kakooza Richard all school going children composed

a poem about the uses of a bicycle. Poem I knew a bike before but I never knew it does great things, My father rode it but never told me it’s a great means of transport The bike took my father to work and we had our school fees The bike brought my father back home, and we had it for domestic use Mr. Bike, where did you come from? I need to know your ancestors Mr. bike, Be you Male or female, you are a commendable machine! You have two wheels but so many uses! During harvesting you bring our food home. Every morning you take me to school and bring me back home in time after school You make no noise, you make no pollution You are environmental friendly You consume no fuel and yet you are fast enough! Oh you bike how useful you are! When we harvested our maize, you took it to the market, When I sold it I got money for my school needs, When we are sick at home, you take us to hospital When we have no water, you take us to the well With two wheels I thought you had two uses You bike, are you female or male? Mothers do a lot of work, so I can call you a mother But fathers are physically strong; I need to call you a father Oh you bike what should I say you are? I will treasure you mother bike because you have changed our life in the family I will promote you bike because every one can afford you I will protect you because you have no harm to nature You men and women of the earth take to bikes A bike can change one’s life, a bike can reduce peoples’ poverty levels. A bike can do more than what one can think of, a bike is cheap to maintain. A bike is friendly to even the poorest of the poor, You bike you are a real knight in shining armor for those that might have lost hope!

THE BIKE: TWO WHEELS MANY USES!!

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Voices News latter 2012

Kizito Women’s Foundation changing lives in Lyanton de

Many women in Uganda especially in rural areas are the bread winners of their fami-lies yet they have no skills to improve their daily earnings. they face the burden of tak-ing care of grand children when their par-ents fail to fulfill their responsibility. Many of them trek long distance to carry out small business that include selling their agro pro-duces in the far markets. Wheel4ife in part-nership with Kizito women’s Foundation a Ugandan local based initiative is supporting women in Lyantonde with the transport means so far by provided 25 bicycles to women. These bikes are being used by women to

carry their agricultural products to markets, carry business goods from one place to an-other, some use the bikes to fetch water for their animals (cows, goats, sheep etc….) especially in dry season which today last longer than before. Many women have report-ed increased income and the quality of life in their families.

WHEELS4LIFE FAMILY MEMBERS -UGANDA

“Once social change begins it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducated the person that has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.”

-Cesar Chavez Wheels4life -Uganda family is facilitating community real empowerment in different parts of the country over

880+ direct beneficiaries have received bikes from Wheels4life through local partners who constitute the wheels4life

-Uganda family. These members are coordinated by the country ambassador and they are working towards form-

ing a consortium that will see members diversify their projects. They include

Union of Hope – lira district VAC-NET– Gulu district, Community based Initiative for Rural Development-

Masaka district, Kizito Women’s Foundation- Lyantonde district, Action for Rural Women empowerment-

namirembe– Kampala, Child Opportunity and Potential Initiative- masulita – wakiso district, Joy organisa-

tion for good life Uganda– Budaka district, Rythm Africa- nansana –Kampala, Peoples’Mercy- Bukomansimbi

district, St. Joseph vocation school- kyamaganda in Lwengo district, Community development network for im-

proved livelihood- Masaka district, CIDAR – jinja district, WIND- Luweero district, KIDEV-Kalangala Integrated

Development (was in Kalangala district but was in process of shifting from there), Missionary Sisters of Mary

Mother of the Church ( MSMMC) health Centre – Masindi district.

Thank you for taking your precious time to read The Voices newsletter we hope that you are in-spired by the success stories from our work. We appreciate all the support given to wheels4 life

and pray that your hands continue to be blessed so that wheels4life’s mission is achieved.

You can contact us at +256701 973617 or email: judemuleke@yahoo.com, we will appreciate and answer all your questions.

For God and My Country.