Each month, we provide nearly 1700 meals at our Touch the Slum project in the Namuwongo slum of Kampala, Uganda. For some of the girls in our program, it’s the only meal they get in a day.

Christine, just 15, is an orphan who lives with her aunt. She is a student in our Literacy Program that our Expat Money community funded at Christmas last year. Her aunt is encouraging her into prostitution to be able to buy food. 

Semina is 16 years old and an orphan and is also in our Literacy Program. She has lived with her aunt and five cousins for several years. Recently, they were evicted from their home for nonpayment of rent; now they are living in an open-air church. They have one bed for the entire family of 7 to sleep on, and no money for food.

Uganda is experiencing a dual crisis, from inflation and from the cost of food. Some of the costs are driven by the war in Ukraine. Uganda gets 60% of its wheat from Ukraine and Russia combined. Almost all of the rest comes from India, which has cut off exports due to its own drought and shortages. Fuel has more than doubled and is up to almost $7.50/gallon, which, of course, raises the cost of everything else.

People who were just getting back on their feet after 2 years of government lockdowns are being knocked back down by the food crisis. Our own food budget at 10eighteen has more than doubled since January, and we are limiting our menu to staples.

Now is the time for us to start our own small farm. On July 11th, will be launching a project on DonorSee to raise $20,000 to buy 2-3 acres of arable land, fencing, seeds and trees, tools, a maize mill, and materials and labour to build a caretaker’s house. It will also pay for the first year of the caretaker’s salary as we get the farm into full production.

We hope you will join us in this important step to be both self-sufficient and to train our girls in basic farming. It will truly change lives!

Please “follow” our page on DonorSee and watch for updates:

https://donorsee.com/10eighteen

Speak soon,

Mikkel