Project Title: Women Rising: Goats, Microloans & Education for Change

Location: Africa → Uganda

Grant Amount: $35,000

Grantee Website: rukundoInternational.org

Mission of Rukundo International Inc
Rukundo International empowers Kabale, Uganda's most vulnerable populations through educational and economic opportunities that create pathways to self-sustaining communities.

Summary
This grant will economically and emotionally empower mothers of girls enrolled in Rukundo International’s Girls Empowerment Program (GEP). The program will distribute female goats and provide training in animal husbandry, organic gardening, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. Each woman will pass on two offspring goats — one to another mother and one to sustain the program — ensuring continuity and scale.

Participants will also complete a six-month entrepreneurship curriculum, equipping them to start or expand income-generating activities. A revolving microloan fund will provide access to small loans that grow over time. The program will also integrate psychosocial support with sessions on gender-based violence, mental health, and parenting for both mothers and daughters.


Why We Love This
We love this project because it uplifts mothers as both economic actors and emotional anchors for their daughters, directly linking women’s empowerment to girls’ education. The cooperative model combines practical skills, microloans, and entrepreneurship training with psychosocial support, addressing both poverty and resilience. The goat-rearing component ensures sustainability and creates a cycle of giving that extends benefits to future participants. Rooted in community leadership and co-designed with mothers and school partners, this initiative builds household stability, strengthens decision-making power, and fosters long-term opportunities for women and their families.