The Alukakin Women’s Group – Giving the Gift of Learning

by | Jun 25, 2021 | Heartivist Of The Week

Each day in Uganda, 30 million people survive without access to electricity. In rural communities especially, this reality creates dire consequences for physical health and mental wellbeing. For young children trying to learn, this obstacle makes it nearly impossible to read and study at night, which stunts their educations and creates a wide academic gap between rural and urban areas. In Ngora, the Alukakin Women’s Group, led by Mary Akot, is working to solve this issue by providing 100 orphans with solar lamps so they can take charge of their learning and safely study at night. 

Akot, a primary school teacher and advocate for the power of reading, said the entire group came up with this idea and all feel passionate about it. Their community was hit particularly hard by the Lord’s Resistance Army fighters, leaving many children orphaned and many families in poverty, and they wanted to help. Without access to electricity, many people are forced to rely on kerosene or paraffin to light their homes, which produce harmful smoke and create a massive fire risk. 

Lockdowns throughout the pandemic have severely worsened this problem, making it challenging for children to access electricity and study even during the day. After observing this suffering firsthand, the Alukakin Women’s Group decided to create a change. After receiving a grant from The Pollination Project, Akot and the rest of the group were able to travel door to door to deliver solar lamps to 100 orphans and offer them the gift of reading and learning. 

This is one of many initiatives the Alukakin Women’s Group has started to better their community. Akot said the group has countless ideas on how to continue helping, and the only thing standing in their way is a lack of financial resources to carry them out. She, along with the rest of the group, have big plans to “work hand in hand” to continue improving the Ngora community and hope to have more opportunities to do so. 

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In the heart of Nkwen Bamenda III Sub Division, Northwest region of Cameroon, the pilot project "Youth and Visual Arts Activism for Social Change" unfolded at Teken Quarter Youth Community Hall. This initiative, running from January to April 2023, targeted fifteen disadvantaged youths—including school dropouts, drug addicts, and other vulnerable groups. The project, supported by a seed grant, was launched by the Collective Arts Development Association (CADA), which provided six art facilitators. These experts delivered extensive training in various artistic skills, from sketching and drawing on canvas boards to graphic design and T-shirt printing.

Participants were introduced to the fundamentals of colors, composition, and proportions, along with practical applications in screen printing on diverse materials like jeans, nylon, and polyester. The primary goal of the project was to leverage art and social entrepreneurship as viable alternatives to drug use, abuse, crime, and poverty in the local community. Furthermore, the project included an outreach program involving sixth-grade pupils from the Government Primary School in Teken Quarter.

The success of this pilot paved the way for a flagship initiative titled "Empowering Marginalized Youths through Life Skill Education Art and Entrepreneurship Skill Development." This ongoing program offers six-month intensive training sessions to thirty disadvantaged youths, teaching them not only visual and graphic arts but also audio-visual skills and crafts essential for economic independence and social inclusion. Moreover, the program includes mental health education, counseling, rehabilitation strategies, and connects participants with mental health professionals as needed, continuing to transform lives thanks to the foundational support of The Pollination Project grant.

#art #socialchange #activism #youthempowerment #mentalhealtheducation #cameroon #heartivism #grants #thepollinationproject

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In the heart of Nkwen Bamenda III Sub Division, Northwest region of Cameroon, the pilot project "Youth and Visual Arts Activism for Social Change" unfolded at Teken Quarter Youth Community Hall. This initiative, running from January to April 2023, targeted fifteen disadvantaged youths—including school dropouts, drug addicts, and other vulnerable groups. The project, supported by a seed grant, was launched by the Collective Arts Development Association (CADA), which provided six art facilitators. These experts delivered extensive training in various artistic skills, from sketching and drawing on canvas boards to graphic design and T-shirt printing. Participants were introduced to the fundamentals of colors, composition, and proportions, along with practical applications in screen printing on diverse materials like jeans, nylon, and polyester. The primary goal of the project was to leverage art and social entrepreneurship as viable alternatives to drug use, abuse, crime, and poverty in the local community. Furthermore, the project included an outreach program involving sixth-grade pupils from the Government Primary School in Teken Quarter. The success of this pilot paved the way for a flagship initiative titled "Empowering Marginalized Youths through Life Skill Education Art and Entrepreneurship Skill Development." This ongoing program offers six-month intensive training sessions to thirty disadvantaged youths, teaching them not only visual and graphic arts but also audio-visual skills and crafts essential for economic independence and social inclusion. Moreover, the program includes mental health education, counseling, rehabilitation strategies, and connects participants with mental health professionals as needed, continuing to transform lives thanks to the foundational support of The Pollination Project grant. #art #socialchange #activism #youthempowerment #mentalhealtheducation #cameroon #heartivism #grants #thepollinationproject

WINNERS!!
Our grantees Manjushree Abhinav and Aanchal Raturi won the Swarnali Roy Vegan Advocacy Awards 2024 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Manjushree received a grant for her project "My planet and my plate", inspiring students to become climate activists themselves, to plant the seed of change into the hearts and minds of students, hoping that these seeds will sprout into far-reaching effects.

Aanchal founded Project Re-Learn, conducting workshops in Uttaranchal colleges to sensitize future agriculturists about ethical practices.

Join us in congratulating these two incredible heartivists! 🧡

@hsi_india
@hsiglobal
@manjushreeabhinav
@earthling_anna_raturi

#animalrights #animalwelfare #vegan #plantbased #veganlifestyle #nocruelty #crueltyfree #heartivism #grants #animaladvocacy #india

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WINNERS!! Our grantees Manjushree Abhinav and Aanchal Raturi won the Swarnali Roy Vegan Advocacy Awards 2024 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 Manjushree received a grant for her project "My planet and my plate", inspiring students to become climate activists themselves, to plant the seed of change into the hearts and minds of students, hoping that these seeds will sprout into far-reaching effects. Aanchal founded Project Re-Learn, conducting workshops in Uttaranchal colleges to sensitize future agriculturists about ethical practices. Join us in congratulating these two incredible heartivists! 🧡 @hsi_india @hsiglobal @manjushreeabhinav @earthling_anna_raturi #animalrights #animalwelfare #vegan #plantbased #veganlifestyle #nocruelty #crueltyfree #heartivism #grants #animaladvocacy #india

🌟 Volunteer Week 🌟 Celebrating our family of Grant Advisors!

Today we celebrate our grant advisors dedicated to #animalprotection .

🔸 April King (Montenegro/United States)
🔸 Elphas Ongongo (Kenya)
🔸 Mohini Sharma (India)
🔸 Evans Okumu (Kenya)
🔸 Fernanda García Naranjo Ortega (Mexico)
🔸 Leandro Franz (Brazil)
🔸 Jeremy Gregory (United States)
🔸 Kate Luke (Australia)
🔸 Andrew Alexander (United States)

@granjitatyh
@kotorkitties
@littleoaksanctuary

#volunteerweek
#animalrights #animalwelfare #heartivism #grants #animaladvocacy #advisors

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🌟 Volunteer Week 🌟 Celebrating our family of Grant Advisors! Today we celebrate our grant advisors dedicated to #animalprotection . 🔸 April King (Montenegro/United States) 🔸 Elphas Ongongo (Kenya) 🔸 Mohini Sharma (India) 🔸 Evans Okumu (Kenya) 🔸 Fernanda García Naranjo Ortega (Mexico) 🔸 Leandro Franz (Brazil) 🔸 Jeremy Gregory (United States) 🔸 Kate Luke (Australia) 🔸 Andrew Alexander (United States) @granjitatyh @kotorkitties @littleoaksanctuary #volunteerweek #animalrights #animalwelfare #heartivism #grants #animaladvocacy #advisors