Kasese Young Single Mothers Association (KIYOSIMA) was started in 2009 in Kasese, Uganda, by five single mothers (including Dorothy, pictured below) who were experiencing community neglect due to the taboo of having children out of wedlock. The group aims to offer economic empowerment for young single mothers through skills training, micro-finance initiatives, and the production of handicrafts.

Since 2018 Better World has been supporting KIYOSIMA via our partnership with International Barcodes Limited. Our support went towards their office-related expenses (rent, utilities, internet and registration charges) as well as towards the following projects:

Duck-Rearing Project: They have hundreds of ducks in different locations, and our donations have helped to provide solar incubators, and to improve the diet and health of the ducks, helping to prevent early mortality. This project provides income for the single mothers.

Tailoring Workshop: At the tailoring workshop, sewing training is given & clothes and re-usable sanitary pads are made to be sold. In 2022 they trained 50 poor young single mothers in sewing skills, and purchased 6 new sewing machines (both treadle and electric). In 2022 they also trained 20 teenage mothers who were impregnated during the COVID-19 lockdown in the skill of re-usable sanitary pad making. These young mothers were aged from 14 to 17 years of age and most of them had been rejected by their families.

Tuition fees: In 2022 they paid the tuition fees for 2 high school girls, daughters of one of the single mothers.

Mushroom farming: In 2022 they provided training in mushroom farming to fight hunger and malnutrition & household poverty. They targeted their 20 members first and hope they can train the wider community in future.

Raising funds for 2 e-bikes: Currently they are raising funds so that they can purchase 2 e-bikes (similar to the one in the picture below). This will allow them to transport finished clothing items and mushrooms to distant markets.