Sustain Micro Enterprise

Support Sustain Micro Enterprise Uganda

Goal

To empower vulnerable women and their families in Uganda

Founder

Samuel Wanyagira

Facts

Our story

Growing up in a community where women and children were more vulnerable and affected by poverty. Samuel Wanyagira was inspired to empower women and their families in the same situation to break the cycle of poverty.

In 2010, Sustain Micro Enterprise was founded. Samuel started giving out collateral free small loans to the vulnerable women using his personal savings. In combination with his business skills, he followed the goal to empower them to provide food for their children, education, and medical care.

With only (£72 or $113) Samuel was able to provide the first small loans to a group of 5 women. With an amazing impact, Samuel was impressed and believed that his approach can be used as sustainable tool that can help women fight poverty.

What we do

SustainME empowers vulnerable women and families to fight poverty through microfinance, small business development, business and vocational training, mentorship and other empowerment programs.

Achievments

Since 2013, over 800 vulnerable women have been empowered. Creating over 1500 small businesses thus directly supporting over 5600 children with a meal, school fees, medical care, better shelter and other basic needs.

In numbers

800 vulnerable women empowered
1 Village Pilot Women’s Center created
1500 small businesses established
5600 children supported
58 women’s groups created

Business Class at Sustain Micro Enterprise

Project picture women Sustain ME Uganda woman working on her fruit stand

Women from the project with her fruit stand

Volunteer Accommodation Outside SustainME house Uganda

Volunteer accommodation main house from outside

Volunteer Accommodation SustainME Uganda Bedroom

Volunteer accommodation with their own room

Volunteer Accommodation Outside SustainME Uganda House

Volunteer accommodation house from outside

Giving a loan to business women

Project picture Sustain ME Uganda woman working on her fish business

Another good example of a woman with her business

Past volunteers from Sustain Micro Enterprise

Project pictures woman Sustain ME Uganda woman working on her own cooking business

Woman working on her own project

Project manager Samuel Wanyagira and the team from Sustain ME

GIVE

Donate directly to Sustain Micro Enterprise

GROW

Help with your own skills and grow

Give

Money, we receive is used for

Provide small start-up loans for the women (£50/$70 per new business loan)
Provide business and vocational skills (£20/$29 per business training)
Offer mentorship (£10/$15 per woman)
Purchase equipment in the Women’s Center
to support vulnerable women and families to rebuild their livelihoods which were lost during the pandemic

Our current project

We are now running some fundraising campaigns to help raise funds to support vulnerable women and families to rebuild their livelihoods which were lost during the pandemic. And indeed in the past couple of months, we have impacted over 100 lives through seed grants, skills and business startups. Our goal is to impact 900 lives through our recovery campaign.
Here are our fundraiser links:
https://www.givingway.com/campaign/f955fb
https://www.givingway.com/campaign/6aad9d

Grow

Volunteer with Sustain Micro Enterprise

*information provided by Sustain ME; not a volunteer offer by give & grow

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What we need

Provide business training
Help mentor the women (one to one or on a group)
Maintain our website and social media
Fundraise for our projects (design campaigns and more)
Facilitate weekly business group discussions and presentations
Office based work and administration such helping with finances and loan tracking
Photography and filming

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How this will help

We can grow impact by reaching more women and families
Through a great and updated website we can spread the word
We can reach more audience with our social media
And also, we can save money for paying additional staff

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Duration

Minimum four weeks
The minimum length of stay is one month to ensure a good relationship to the women. If you like it here, you can stay with us up to a year.

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Required skills from the volunteer

Communication skills
Business / Economics skills
Vocational skills
Marketing skills
Social Media / Website skills
Fundraising / grant writing skills
Photography / Filming

When do you take volunteers?

You can volunteer with Sustain Micro Enterprise all year round.

How much does it cost?

1.500 $ per month

What is included?

Accomodation at the host family
3 meals a day
Internet at host family
Pick up to/from the Airport
In-country transportation
Project material

Do you have accommodation for the volunteers?

Our volunteers stay with host families which we have vetted and approved. The accommodation consists of one bed room and a bathroom (see pictures). However, some volunteers prefer staying in a hotel or guesthouse and we are also having that option. At the host family, the volunteers have the opportunity to learn more about our culture, they become part and members of that family and can engage with the locals in local activities.

Who visited the project personally?

No White Savior is a group of individuals in Uganda. Their collective experience in the development and aid sectors has lead them to a deep commitment to seeing things change in a more equitable and anti-racist direction. They recently visited Sustain ME and personally evaluated the project according to the standards.