Mugambire gives hope to girls in Nyendo slum

Until October 31, New Vision will devote space to highlighting the plight of slum dwellers as well as profiling those offering selfless service to improve conditions in these areas. Today, DISMUS BUREGYEYA brings you the story of hope and empowerment from Nyendo, a slum in Masaka

It had been calm for two weeks until one afternoon in April when a storm hit the town, leaving most banana plantations devastated. But instead of mourning their loss, residents in the sprawling Nyendo slum, in the heart of Masaka municipality, were excited. 

The storm signaled that nsenene (grasshoppers) would swarm the town that evening, which meant harvesting loads of money for the residents. This also meant that the usually sleepy slum would turn into a bee hive for a week. 

From the advent of prostitutes from the nearby landing sites eager to cash in on the nsenene money, defilement and rape cases, to assaults resulting from overdrinking and gambling and the Police doing their job, the nsenene week was busy. 

Charles Kiyimba, the chairman of the Nyendo Grasshopper Association, says nsenene money accounts for up to 90% of the residents’ income. The grasshopper seasons are in April and December.

“Some of us have bought cars, constructed houses and educated our children using money from selling grasshoppers. Almost everyone in Nyendo earns from nsenene,” says Kiyimba.

But even with the nsenene income, Nyendo is still like other slums in Uganda, and is characterised by filth, congestion, unplanned shanty structures, poor sanitation and lack of basic facilities for health and education. 

This slum, established in 1968 under the influence of Asians as an extension of Masaka town, houses more than half (53.5%) or 22,217 of Masaka’s 35,626 residents, according to the 2000 population and housing census. These statistics are consistent with the UN Habitat for Humanity report which says that between 49% – 64% of Uganda’s estimated 3.2 million urban dwellers live in slums.

As only 13.9% of Uganda slum dwellers have access to piped water, only a handful of households in Nyendo have access to piped water and the central sewage system.

Government aid

Charles Kabulasoke, the chairman of Nyendo Ssenyange division, says they have introduced the NAADS programme as one of the strategies to fight poverty in the area. 

Kabulasoke also hails President Yoweri Museveni for donating sh500m through the Nyendo Micro-finance to support established groups and small-scale entrepreneurs in the slum access credit. 

He is optimistic that conditions in the area would improve further when the multi-billion market improvement project promised by the Government materialises. However, despite the introduction of UPE and USE, the net enrollment rate in Masaka municipality’s primary and secondary schools stand at 90.7% and 50.7% respectively. The conditions in the schools are poor. 

The town clerk, Johnson Baryatuma, says only 12 of the 60 government aided primary schools in the municipality meet the minimum standards. 

Hope for women

However, all is not lost amid these challenges. Jessica Mugambire has set up a vocational institute to give women and destitute children of Nyendo slum life skills to improve their livelihoods. 

Mugambire, a mother of four, set up the Mummies School which specialises in training school drop-outs in vocational skills such as hair-dressing. About 800 women have been trained since the school started in 2004.

The beginning

Mugambire came up with the idea of starting the school following a tragedy she suffered early in her marriage. Her husband, Steven Kaggwa, the family bread winner was crippled by a strange disease shortly after their wedding in 2000. Faced with the challenge of looking after the family and her disabled husband, Mugambire had to think fast. 

A graduate of cosmetology from Bugyera and Kihini Vocational Institutes in Rwanda, she had been operating a small salon in Masaka. 

On seeing a number of women in similar situations like hers, Mugambire transformed her small salon into an informal training centre in 2004, starting with four girls in hair dressing. 

She was the sole instructor while her wheel-chair-bound husband did the supervision. “I knew there were many women facing similar challenges and I was motivated by the way the salon made miracles for me,” says Mugambire. 

“I am proud to have trained many girl-children to become job creators. Many would-be street children now have jobs in Nyendo,” she says with satisfaction. 

From 2005, the salon formalised itself as a training centre for hair dressing. In 2007, the centre held its first graduation with a batch of 49 students receiving certificates.

Overwhelmed with the numbers, the school acquired land at Kitenga near Nyendo in 2008 and constructed two classroom blocks. 

The enrollment at the centre has been rising and last year, 157 students graduated in a colourful ceremony presided over by the Vice-President, Edward Ssekandi.

Today, the school has 300 students in the new facilities which are registered under the Uganda Business and Technical Examination Board and the Uganda National Examination Board.

Support

A number of NGOs have come to the centre’s support and these include Uganda Cares, World Vision, Kitovu Mobile Home Care, Mumaaso Foundation, Villa Maria and The Aids Support Organisation. The latter specifically supports the needy and orphans affected and afflicted by HIV/AIDS. 

The Private Sector Foundation also supports the school by sponsoring students under the non-formal vocational skills training. 

Kaggwa disclosed that the school offers at least three annual bursaries for needy children and children living with disabilities.

Beneficiaries speak out 

Dorcus Atuhairwe, a 20-year-old who graduated last year from the centre, is employed as a hairdressing instructor at St. Ann Vocational Institute in Kitovu. She is all praises for Mummies Centre.

“I lost my mum but dad is happy with me and does not regret allowing me to do a vocational course. I have become useful to myself and my family,” she said.

Rovis Nassozi started a salon business in Nyendo and also doubles as bridal dressing and decoration specialist, while Annet Nansereko did a certificate in catering and hotel management and is employed at Maria-Flo Hotel in Masaka.

Kabulasoke said they are proud of Mummies Centre for giving the girls an opportunity to make money descently. “We have girls here who engage in commercial sex but at least the centre has proved that women can also make money in a descent way,” he said.

Challenges

“Teaching illiterate beneficiaries under the non-formal sector is not easy,” said Mugambire.  She added that the equipment and tools needed for vocational skills training are inadequate, especially for disabled students. In addition, the centre lacks space for expansion.

“The cost of sustaining programmes sometimes overwhelms our capacity, especially with the recent rise in commodity prices,” Mugambire added. 

Teopista Nabakooza, a volunteer, said identifying beneficiaries was a challenge since almost all need support.