Self Help Groups
This project was initially designed as an emergency response during the first lockdown. During this time public transport was difficult and the future of many people seamed to be insecure. The Self Help Group (SHG) project is a multi-input resilience project which started by forming 8 small groups of 20 people per group in the communities of Lubani, Mabira, Bubugo, Nabukosi, Kilanga and Lumuli. The idea was to bring together people of similar interests with the intention of solving their challenges using the bicycle as a common denominator but with saving as a driving factor. However, since bicycles cannot carry much load by the nature of their design, 4 Cargo Bikes were distributed to the group members, especially those trading agricultural products, to ease their access to markets. It is imperative to note that these are doing tremendous strides especially in transporting agricultural products from the gardens to markets during this lockdown period where public transport has been banned. Additionally, the trainings in financial management and the common savings enabled many people to bundle their money and start small businesses. Besides that, also soft skills like responsibility, team work, transparency and respect shall be transmitted to the vulnerable communities. The project was running so well that in 2022 FABIO decided to continue and expand it by building new SHGs in different communities.
Evaluation
The majority of our SHG beneficiaries is using the bicycles to fetch water for brick laying, fetching animal feeds, accessing gardens and markets for their products. This has increased their income per capita and hence improved their livelihoods. This has enabled many of them to save in the Self Help Groups and from which they can borrow money to start their own small businesses.
![](https://fabio.or.ug/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/imageedit_1_7865606244-e1652432960401.png)
Empowering teenage mothers
Stories of success
![Mr Nabunyele David was a Primary School
teacher in Bubugo. Having tasted the
hardest part of his life (no salary due to closure of
Schools), he joined an SHG and started a brick laying business.](https://fabio.or.ug/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-006-768x512.jpg)
![Together with his son they are using the bicycle to fetch water which is needed for the brick production. Yet they have laid far more than 10,000 bricks.](https://fabio.or.ug/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-004-768x512.jpg)
![Ms. Betty joined an SHG for selling homegrown bananas and tomatoes. The bicycle drastically increased her access to the market and business was going well. Now her plans developed.](https://fabio.or.ug/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-012-768x512.jpg)
![She borrowed money from her SHG to buy land. "I see my dream of owning my house coming true through using a bicycle. I believe more bicycles can turn people's lives around.", she says.](https://fabio.or.ug/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-011-768x512.jpg)
![Many beneficiaries use their savings to buy animals like goats, cows and pigs. This reduces the poverty level, since animals can be sold during emergencies.](https://fabio.or.ug/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-009-768x512.jpg)
![Mwesigwa Gilbert helping his parents to feed the pigs. His father said: "Instead of my son wasting time lottering around the village during the time when schools are closed, he helps me to feed the animals. After all, the money I get after selling these animals will be used to pay his school fees."](https://fabio.or.ug/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-008-768x512.jpg)
![Teenage girls are treated as outcast in the rural communities of Uganda. Giving such young people skills and knownledge is helping them to be accepted in the community, they can also contribute to the welfare of the families and their children.](https://fabio.or.ug/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG-1186-768x576.jpg)
![Income and saving. It is impossible to save if you have no income generating activity. Saving to grow and growing to save with FABIO.](https://fabio.or.ug/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG-1196-768x576.jpg)
![Teenage Mothers skilling in sawing](https://fabio.or.ug/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG-1229-768x576.jpg)