„333 Cows for
333 Mothers“ – MoreMilk for Children in Uganda
The “More Milk for Children in Uganda” aid project, initiated by our founder Volkmar Wywiol, is an exemplary success in improving the nutritional underpinnings of children in East Uganda. With our “99 cows for 99 mothers” call we were able to give away no less than 283 cows to Ugandan mothers last year. Encouraged by this success, for 2023 we’ve raised our goal to an ambitious 333 cows. A cow can be purchased for just 270 euros. However, the practical and morale value is ever so much higher, and remains so for many years.
Every success of humanitarian activities depends on trustworthy partners on the spot, with their local knowledge and ability to check results. Elisabeth Mwaka has been living in Uganda for over 30 years. In all these years she has brought about remarkable development in Butiru through her constant hard work, undaunted efforts and intensive fundraising. She has established 46 schools, health clinics and homes for widows and orphans. In recognition of her achievements she was presented with the Bundesverdienstkreuz, the Federal Award of Merit.
THE REPUBLIC
OF UGANDA
The Republic of Uganda is a landlocked state in East Africa, with a population of approximately 46 million. It is situated on a plateau and borders on five other countries: South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Ruanda and Congo. Its landscape and fauna are fascinating for their beauty. For a long time the country was under authoritarian rule, but more recently it has opened up to democratic processes. The average age is 15.7 years. Uganda is a country of very low incomes, with a rapidly growing population and widespread poverty.
The children of Butiru
Butiru is a small town and at the same time an administrative district, with numerous villages and 17,000 inhabitants. The food situation in this rural and mountainous area is difficult. Scanty harvests and an unbalanced diet result in a deficiency of vital vitamins and minerals in the children, many of whom are orphans. In addition, there are the many orphans who have lost their parents early in life through HIV infection and are being brought up by relatives. The situation has deteriorated further during the Covid pandemic. For instance, the children have been unable to attend school for nearly two years, with serious consequences. Many young people lack regular meals; in particular they have no access to basic foods like milk, which we take for granted.
„MOREMILK“:
A SIMPLE IDEA,
A HUGE INFLUENCE!
For poor people in Uganda, a milk cow is out of reach. Even with microfinancing buying one is scarcely possible, since the loan must be repaid at high interest. Our “MoreMilk” project is compellingly simple. It donates milk cows worth 270 euros each to mothers in Butiru. The two firstborn calves are given to other women. On average, these local zebus give about 1500 litres of milk a year. That’s enough to provide 8 to 10 children with a half litre each per day. Mixed into maize porridge in the morning, it gives kids a healthy breakfast.
The mothers can sell the extra milk to get a small additional income. Thus, our MoreMilk project provides two important and sustained benefits.
THE COWS GO TO MOTHERS IN WOMEN’S GROUPS
For many years, Sister Elisabeth Mwaka and her team have successfully formed lasting women’s groups of about 20 people each. The primary focus is on imparting knowledge about farming, home economics, sewing, microfinancing and especially birth control. Today there are 118 women’s groups in the Butiru area with about 2500 members. Each of these mothers would like to have a milk cow. The cow delivery is a special holiday; the mothers dress their best for the occasion, and later thank each donor with a souvenir photo.
BECOME A COW AMBASSADOR TOO!
The project has attracted the interest not just of business associates, but also of employees of the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, and motivated them to make their own donations. As Christina Dickel, Curator of the Stern-Wywiol Gallery, puts it, “The idea of MoreMilk is ingenious. A poor family will never be able to afford a cow on their own. Our donation goes directly to the mothers and their children. And it’s just nice to be part of it. Where else can you buy a cow as a team and do something good?” For a lot of cows, you need a lot of donors. We’re looking for multipliers for this beneficial project who act as cow ambassadors to their friends and acquaintances.
MORE SUPPORTERS OF THE MOREMILK PROJECT ARE VERY WELCOME!
Sister Elisabeth has been able to do her work in Uganda primarily through the support of the “Friends of Christian Social Work” in Hankensbüttel in Germany. Every donor gets a receipt for a charitable donation they can deduct from their taxes.
Donation account:
Butiru Freundeskreis
Volksbank Hankenbüttel
IBAN: DE07 2579 1635 0061 8870 00
Purpose of transfer: „MoreMilk“ (Please state your full address for the donation receipt)
If you would like more information on sustainable developments in Uganda by the “Freundeskreis zur Förderung Christlicher Sozialarbeit e.V.” you can read about it at the link.