More IGPs. Pictured is the mother of Justine Cyimpaye. The family has been supported by FALCCO to start a simple foodstuff retail business. She sits here beside the beans she sells at a small roadside market near their home. This family has no land to cultivate and that makes them much more vulnerable.

However, we believe that with the determination and resilience that this lady has, her business will grow and she will be able to improve the conditions of her family. She has been a single mother to her 3 children for about 8 years.
Empowering households to start their own income generating projects is key to our vision. We believe that anyone can work their way out of poverty if they have the right mindset and are given the right opportunities.

A snapshot of a Kisoro village showing the home (in the middle of the pic) where Richard Manirinde, one of our children, stays with his mother and siblings. It shows the sprawling gardens typical of most villages in Kisoro. The gardens presently contain maize and Irish potatoes. The potatoes are due for harvest but the maize will be harvested in January 2015. Near Richards home is the garden that his mother cultivates. This typifies how strongly the communities rely on agriculture for their livelihood. In the far background are the Virunga ranges which house Mgahinga forest National park. The park is home to the world-famous mountain gorillas. Tourists come from all over the world to see the gorillas.The ranges stretch into Rwanda and D.R Congo on the other side of the mountains.

A NEW GAME TO PLAY!

Gato Jackyline together with friends try out a new and exciting game with her frisbee. Evarist poses with his too. Much thanks to our sponsors who are helping to enrich these young, innocent souls with precious memories of joy instead of dread and misery.

The father of Bridget Mukashema stands beside the garden he cultivated with FALCCO support under the economic empowerment programme. The family is harvesting irish potatoes now from the garden and there is still some maize to be harvested in January. He has told us that it has been a great boost for him because he has a large family and feeding them sometimes is a challenge. he is now grateful for the support because he can feed his family in this season and is selling some of the crops to get money for their welfare, and offcourse he has kept some seed for the next planting season.

It is common here for families that don't have land to hire someone else's land for two or more seasons and cultivate in it. FALCCO seeks to ensure that each family has food security in addition to growing for commercial purposes. We will do this by supporting families to hire land for cultivation beginning with those who don't have at all.

Economic empowerment

Evarist poses with the goat donated to them by FALCCO, but this time its not alone.....it has a kid! We hope to continue this goat rotation until every family has a goat for a start. We have asked the parents to let the goats multiply so that they may offer economic security by enabling them to supplement with other income generating projects without getting a loan or external assistance.

Samuel (3rd right) and Elizabeth (5th right)

Elizabeth Niyobyose (2nd left) enjoys herself during P.E class. She is learning to adapt to new peaple and is making friends very fast. This is boosting her social and psychological development.

FUN AT SCHOOL

Samuel Ihorihoze taps the head of a friend as part of the game they are playing during their physical education time after lunch. He is one of the children who make that class really lively. He is developing really well cognitively thanks to our partners who have made it possible for these children to stay in school...and enjoy it!

Jacky Munezero, who is doing a tailoring course with FALCCO support will be completing her 2-year course end of Nov. 2014. She poses here with a white shirt that she has designed herself. We believe she will be a pillar of hope and support to her family when she finishes.
Our plan for her after school is to assist her get her own tailoring machine so that she gets self-employed. One machine costs about $150. Contributions to that effect would be highly appreciated. In the meantime, we will do our best to get her somewhere to work for another person. Secondly, she obtained some computer skills which she hopes to improve on so that she may be more competitive in the job market.

HELLO THERE

It was another letter writing season full of fun and interaction. The children always look forward to the time when they can write to their sponsors...and hear from them where possible. We shared a snack with them and they set out to write. This communication continues to do wonders to their self esteem because children feel great knowing they have a friend in "Outside countries" as they love to call it!

Parents pay attention as our volunteer stresses a point.

SEPTEMBER ACTIVITIES

We had fruitful discussions with our children's parents and caregivers to get feedback about the children's welfare at home and also to discuss their report cards for last term. Generally the parents told us about the high motivation they see in the children concerning their education and how they are practicing the health habits that we taught them recently. One parent went..."My child asked me to buy him a handkerchief because you taught him that he should always have one and that when you meet him with it he will get a present!"
At the back is Bridget's mum. Left; Niyobyose Elizabeth's mum, 2nd left on front row is the grandmother of Miriam Cyimpaye. Next are the mothers to Geoffrey and Cyimpaye Justine respectively.