This is original content from the D. Gary Young Young Living Foundation blog.
The Young Living Foundation is working with several women-led businesses across the globe, and one of them is a female artisan group called Mabira Collective located in Lugazi, Uganda.
We are thrilled to partner with this group whose mission of empowering women in rural Uganda through a social business aligns perfectly with our Developing Enterprise focus pillar. Through your generosity, the Foundation has recently increased their capacity, and through our purchases, we have helped them even more!
One of the most effective ways to break cycles of poverty is to provide women and mothers with sustainable jobs and fair pay so they can provide for the health and educational needs of their children.
In addition to fair pay, women in the Mabira Collective program receive benefits like school-fee sponsorship for their children and medical benefits as well as training in small business development, literacy, and health. They can also receive paid maternity leave, on-site childcare, work-from-home options, and opportunities to advance into management positions.
Namyalo Eva is one of those women, and here is her story:
STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET
Before finding work at Mabira Collective, Namyalo Eva lived on the edge of subsistence and was just one setback away from falling into extreme poverty. Her husband abandoned the family, and she struggled to provide for her three children—two from her husband’s first marriage—while doing laundry work to earn a living. Sometimes she earned enough to provide one meal a day to her children, but sometimes they went without food. With an all-absorbing devotion to her children’s welfare, Eva felt like she was falling short as a mother and provider.
"I spent most of my time feeling stressed and overwhelmed, and as a result, I developed ulcers but I could not afford proper medical care." - Namyalo Eva
All of that changed when she joined Mabira Collective. Eva learned how to make beautiful jewelry and, for the first time, she got paid what she deserved! She also received medical benefits and business skills training. She quickly advanced into a production manager position and went from struggling to find food for her children to saving money and starting her own business selling children’s clothes.
"Because of my hard work, my children have enough to eat and are enjoying going to school. My son Joram wants to be an engineer. Now my children can dream, and so can I." - Namyalo Eva
Eva’s story is similar to other’s at Mabira Collective, including Cathy’s and Cissy’s stories. Watch this video to learn more about how Mabira Collective empowers women in Uganda.
FUNDING FOR A KILN
Creating beautiful hand-made jewelry, ornaments, and other items out of clay is one of the things Mabira Collective specializes in. But as part of their manufacturing process, they had to travel two hours and pay to have their clay items fired in a remote kiln. The added travel and production expenses disrupted the group’s ability to expand as they placed caps on the number of orders they could fulfill and the number of women they could employ.
We were so thrilled to sponsor a clay kiln for this inspiring and deserving group of talented women. The group also saved up enough money to purchase a second kiln. With two of their own kilns, now they will be able to nearly double their production capacity, reduce costs, increase their earning potential, and open jobs for an additional hundred new women artisans!
CHANGING LIVES WITH INCREDIBLE IMPACT
Watch this video to see how the ornaments were handmade and keep scrolling to learn how Young Living's November 2020 PV Promo has impacted the lives of hundreds of women in Uganda who are rising out of poverty.
We are committed to supporting groups like Mabira Collective to help women emerge from vulnerability so they can thrive and provide for their children. By connecting these artisan groups to the Young Living marketplace through monthly promos and this year’s Holiday Gift Guide, we not only help them sell their goods but also showcase their talents to the world!
Be sure to take advantage of the November PV promo to get your hands on this exclusive, handmade Young Living ornament!
To support more small businesses around the world led by women from vulnerable communities, donate to our Developing Enterprise focus pillar today.
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