A microcredit project for women, the construction of an agricultural training school and the creation of a drinking water treatment plant are the three projects to be developed in Kenziga, Uganda.
Torrevieja, 23rd February 2022 – TM Real Estate Group, an Alicante-based benchmark in the residential tourism sector, has signed a collaboration agreement with Rafiki Africa, a NGO from Alicante operating in Uganda, to develop 3 projects linked to women’s empowerment, education and sanitation infrastructure.
True to its commitment to sustainable development, the fight against poverty and social exclusion, TM’s partnership with Rafiki Africa consists of three short- to medium-term projects linked to SDGs 1, 4, 6, 8 and 10, with the main objective of improving the lives of people in the rural area of Kenziga, Sembabule district (Uganda).
Microcredits to empower women
The first project will provide microcredits to empower women in the area. Women’s empowerment is one of the core challenges in social development across most African countries. The very small loans will allow the beneficiaries to start an income-generating activity to improve their quality of life and that of their families. The loans are expected to reach over 140 women within an estimated 3 years.
Agricultural training school
Considering that 90% of the local population currently works in agriculture and livestock farming, the second project TM will work on with Rafiki is the construction of an agricultural training school.
This vocational facility is in addition to other agricultural projects Rafiki has implemented in the area: an agricultural warehouse, a reservoir to irrigate the school’s crops and land for the hands-on classes (which TM Real Estate Group helped purchase).
In the school, aimed at both young people of vocational training age and adults, farming techniques will be taught to help the students harness the opportunities afforded by the land, learn a profession and have a source of employment.
Drinking water treatment plant
The final project involves the creation of a drinking water treatment plant, including the installation of 10 taps to provide access to water to more than 400 local school pupils, their families and those living nearby. The local area has serious water drainage deficiencies.
With these actions, in three years progress is expected to be made in eradicating poverty in this population setting, facilitating an improvement in living conditions and allowing all families to reach a minimum living income that allows them to be happy without having to emigrate.
In the words of TM Real Estate Group president Angeles Serna: “Initiatives like this are part of our DNA. We feel strongly about the values that drive Rafiki and the work it does to provide future opportunities for the people who need it most. We are happy to be able to partner on these projects that are very different from each other but which address fundamental issues for the development of any community: the empowerment of women, education and the improvement of basic infrastructures.”
Rafiki president Juan Amirola said: “We work in one of the areas of the world where the people most need our help to survive and not be forced to flee their homeland. Uganda is a poor country, and the area where we operate is even poorer. There are still malnourished children with no schooling, girls working at the age of 10 looking after children or collecting firewood and populations still drinking water from pools that have not been purified. We have a lot of work to do, but with the support of companies like TM, we are confident we can turn these circumstances around in a few years. We are very grateful for the ongoing support they have provided for several years now.”
