As with my encounter Amos, meeting Grace Lamono at the Kireka stone quarry was an uplifting experience. She’s warm and out-spoken, and in a way she’s the de facto spokeswoman for the the other 14 Acholi refugee women and their children. It’s not because conversational English skills, but also her upbeat, expressive and effervescent personality. On my visit to the quarry last December, I was able to sit down with her for a few minutes to talk about her goals, aspirations and the group’s challenges trying to survive as domestic refugees in Kampala’s fast-paced, and expensive environment. I wish I’d had an opportunity to talk to all the women the day I visited but most of them were not working that day as it was a holiday weekend.

You can find out more about grace by visiting the official Women of Kireka informational blog, maintained by Siena Anstis.

 

FUND RAISING UPDATE:

As you can see in the sidebar, the fund-raising is going better than expected given the uncertain economic times. We are creeping down slowly towards our first $1000-goal mark. If you haven’t already pitched in, please help us hit that tipping point so we can kickstart some positive change in these women. A majority of these funds will be used to buy supplies and train the ladies to kick off their own skills-building fund raising efforts by making leather and beaded bracelets. We’ll have more information on how you can get one of these custom-made bracelets in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for more information. Again, if you haven’t joined the cause, please don’t hesitate, donate today.

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