Background

Caring Hands is an organization made up of volunteers who assist families living in Kampala, Uganda. Their goal is to break the cycle of poverty in families in the community and to give them hope for the future.

The greatest challenges for families living in poverty are food, housing, school fees, health issues, and access to clean water. To help with such needs, Caring Hands is involved in material, psycho-social, and spiritual support; and by networking and giving information on existing available services for HIV positive individuals (HIV voluntary testing, Anti Retro Viral drugs, etc.). CH volunteers make home visits; distribute food, used clothing and seed; and assist with medical and mental care, funeral costs, and school expenses for children. Caring Hands provides bedding for those previously sleeping on mud floors. They arrange for more hygienic housing away from the slums, even raising funds for building furnished new homes. This ministry also facilitates small loans with no interest, allowing families possibilities that they would not otherwise have.

Making jewellery out of recycled paper has become the most important income-generating project for Caring Hands and the women involved. About 40 women have been trained in making beads out of recycled paper to make jewellery, which is sent to markets around the world. This has given the women self-esteem, put a smile on their faces, and alleviated the struggles with poverty.

The profits are used for various charitable activities.

This is done by giving families:
1. material, psycho-social and spiritual
2. advice about health and hygiene
3. means of developing a livelihood
4. networking, providing information on existing and available services

The greatest challenges for families living in poverty are:
1. food
2. shelter/housing
3. school fees
4. sickness (medicines and health care costs)

What Caring Hands does with donations:

A. Emergency relief home visitations
1. food distribution
2. medical assistance (doctor's fees, clinic visits, medical expenses, travel expenses)
3. dental care
4. funeral costs
5. distribution of used clothes
6. housing costs
7. seeds

B. Income Generating
1. buying sewing machine, materials, and tutoring for single, paralyzed mother
2. buying knitting machine, materials, and workshop for lady taking care of orphans
3. making beads for jewellery out of recycled paper

C. School fees for children
1. children have been placed in the Fida Child Sponsorship Programs
2. school fees for children
3. the school fees include school uniform, P.E. clothing, shoes, knapsack, stationary, lunch
and exam fees

D. Raising the standard of living
1. raising the standard of living from the mud floor to the bed: metal bunk beds, mattresses,
blankets, pillows, sheet, pillow cases, mosquito nets
2. arranging for more hygienic housing away from the slums
3. fund raising for building new permanent homes