We support women and their children in Uganda on their way out of prostitution.
Through manual labour and education into a self-determined life and a better future.
Since 2021, we have been supporting a project in Kampala, Uganda, that provides new life opportunities for women involved in prostitution. The exit project teaches these women how to create various products such as clothing, bags, and shoes. These items are sold both in Uganda and Europe, allowing the women to earn a new income, enabling them to leave prostitution.
Additionally, the families of the single mothers receive important food donations. The children are also financially supported, ensuring they can attend school and have better career opportunities in the future.
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Our work in Kampala began in January 2021, when our founder, Gaby Wentland, learned about the hardships and terrible living conditions of the mothers in Uganda during a trip.
While there, she met a young woman named Dorcas, who had already been supporting and assisting women in prostitution in Kampala for 10 years.
Thousands of young, single mothers live with their children in the poorest areas of the capital, Kampala. They reside in tiny rooms, approximately 1.40m x 1.40m in size (see images below), without running water or protection.
To cover rent and the most basic survival costs, they often have to prostitute themselves in these rooms multiple times a day for €0.50 each time. With every client, the risk of experiencing violence and contracting AIDS or another serious disease increases.
Due to poverty, they cannot afford school fees for their children. As a result, the children remain in the slum during the day, directly witnessing the harsh realities of prostitution.
n February 2021, Gaby, along with Dorcas and another board member in Uganda, founded the “ZOE Mentorship” foundation. Similar to our work in Germany, the vision of “ZOE Mentorship” is to support women in their exit from forced prostitution and sexual exploitation.
Forced prostitution has many parallel structures worldwide, yet it also manifests in different ways. In our work in Uganda, we focus on:
Within a few months, the project grew rapidly, and we are now supporting around 800 women in their efforts to exit prostitution.
In August 2021, we rented our own building where the women work in shifts at 30 sewing and knitting machines. The product range includes shoes, bags, clothing, and personal care products.
Through volunteer workers, these products are sold in Germany and Switzerland, with the proceeds being reinvested into the “ZOE Mentorship” program. This source of income enables the women to move out of the red-light slum to another part of Kampala, allowing them to leave prostitution behind.
Another important aspect of our work is the inner healing and personal growth of the women. Many have experienced violence, poverty, and trauma since childhood. In weekly meetings, a supportive community is formed where the women can uplift one another and grow together in faith.
Before joining the “ZOE Mentorship” program, most women find it unimaginable to provide their children with an education, as the costs for school fees, uniforms, and supplies are too high. As a result, the children often fall into the same destructive cycle as their mothers. Girls are forced into prostitution at an early age, while other children are sent to beg or become involved in criminal activities.
Education is a crucial key to breaking this cycle, offering children a new perspective and foundation for life. Thanks to donations, we are already able to provide education for 110 children!
To further support the women and their children, we also distribute monthly food donations.
“ZOE” means life, and after almost two years, we are already witnessing and celebrating how the lives of hundreds of women and children have been transformed through this project.
In April and November 2022, a team from Mission Freedom traveled to Kampala, and each time, we hear the life stories and see the hope and confidence these women now have for themselves and their children.
Hundreds of former prostitutes have been integrated into the community and are now helping each other!
As special highlights, in April, a grand celebration with over 1,000 women from Kampala was held, and in November, we were honored to celebrate the first wedding of one of the women—and we know this is just the beginning!
A donor from Germany is interested in purchasing land in Uganda for the exit project. The plan is to build a school on this land to enroll even more children from the red-light district. Additionally, we aim to construct housing for the families and create spaces on the property for agriculture and production. With a larger area, we hope to provide many more mothers and children with the opportunity for a better future.
With a donation to the project in Kampala, we can continue to fund the children's education, helping to break the cycles of poverty and exploitation. Your contribution will also enable us to support even more women in their journey out of prostitution.
040 – 3619 7115
kontakt@mission-freedom.de
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