Pig Cooperatives #3 and #4
To see photos of the completed projects, click here
Pilot Light Foundation is pleased to announce another partnership with Sikiliza Leo in the support of Pig cooperatives #3 (Mulanda Pig Cooperative) and #4 (Lwala Pig Cooperative), which are located in the neighboring villages of Mulanda and Lwala. This is the same location of PLF's completed Bridge Project. Mulanda is a sub county of the Tororo district in Eastern Uganda, bordering on Kenya. Uganda is one of the poorest countries in Africa and was the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic as it unfolded in sub-Saharan Africa in the mid eighties. It is estimated that since the beginning of the epidemic, Uganda has lost over 1 million lives to HIV/AIDS, leaving behind an estimated 1.7 million orphans. In these villages alone, there are more than 500 orphans under the age of 7, which are served by PLF partner, the Sikiliza Leo Orphan Daycare Nursery Schools, one in Mulanda and one in Lwala.The devastating effects that AIDS has had on the productivity and well being of people cannot be over- emphasized. AIDS invades every aspect of life - work, home, communities. The population, estimated at 50,000 people, lives in a very rural setting. The main source of income for the people is subsistence farming and petty trade across the border. HIV prevalence is very high, despite a major decrease since the 1980's, at 19%, severely affecting life in the community.

The goal of these two pig cooperatives is to improve the economic status of the women of Lwala and Mulanda through income generating activities and to sustain the operation of the two nursery schools. There are fifteen members of each cooperative group and, unlike other cooperatives that PLF is funding, instead of paying back part of their loan to fund other cooperatives in their village, they will be giving 20% of their profits to support the nutrition programs in the nursery schools of their respective villages. This will significantly help Sikiliza Leo in continuing the operation of these invaluable schools. The project is slated to begin in late April.

Budget: Pending