Once again, I have chosen to support International Refugee Trust's multifaceted and innovative StepUp programme in northern Uganda.

StepUp aims at empowering subsistence farmers in northern Uganda by providing them with skills and knowledge to respond to the complexity of factors that perpetuate poverty in rural communities. The focus is on local empowerment and local ownership, and the programme is run by local people – this approach not only avoids dependency, but fosters self-sufficiency and sustainability.

StepUp focuses on important aspects such as sustainable agriculture, health and sanitation, access to clean water, primary and secondary school education, savings and credit and gender equity – all the aspects that are identified by local people as key to their development.

I am always astounded by how much each StepUp household achieves within the first few months of receiving their training sessions provided by International Refugee Trust and particularly touching is their feedback:

“I feel that I have grown big as a person. Big with knowledge, big with skills, big with everything good. I only need time to realise my dreams.”
- Hasen Kasyano

“We have gained materially, we have gained socially, we have gained psychologically, and our children look different from other communities where the programme hasn't entered. Both my son and two daughters now go to school. You will not see this kind of setting in other communities.”
- Agnes Okello

Please give generously! Thanks very much,

Gavin