Impact Report: Property Rights Training

The Importance of Holistic Development

by Adam Thomson, VP of Impact

The goal of our programs is to equip our beneficiaries with the knowledge and resources to rise above poverty. Given the complexity of poverty, our programs have had to evolve to address the many different parts of the individual including their economic, physical, social and psychological health. Our program teams are on a constant journey to provide the necessary trainings to holistically empower the women we work with. Last month in Uganda that journey led to the topic of property rights.

A little background: In many cities in developing countries, more than half of the urban population lives in slums and informal settlements where questions like “Who owns this land?” and “Where does your property start and mine end?” don’t have easy answers. In Northern Uganda this problem was intensified when 1.8 million people were forced to move from their land into Internal Displacement Person (IDP) camps. A whole generation grew up in these camps and answers to those questions became even harder to find.

The issue of property rights has been an increasingly hot topic at the Uganda office over the last 6 months. This may sound like a problem but it’s actually a good thing! With average savings levels over 20x greater than pre-program levels, many beneficiaries are reaching the point where they can afford to purchase a home or land. We designed the property rights training to help these women navigate the often times challenging and scary process of their first property purchase. The trainings equipped them to answer two main questions:

1. How do I purchase property?
2. What are my rights to property that I own?

Beyond the hours of training we logged, our mentorship team has been hard at work connecting those beneficiaries who have been victims of property rights abuses with organizations who can help them rectify the situation. In the last month we’ve already received reports of women who have reversed unfair land evictions and fixed incorrect land titles.

This is a great example of the life-changing power that a fair income, relevant training and thorough mentorship can have in the developing world. We are beyond excited to continue to walk along side our beneficiaries on the journey of empowerment. Wherever that takes us. Thanks for your support and purchases!