May 15 is the International Day of Families, highlighting the importance the international community attaches to families.

And strong families are of the utmost importance. Because in rural East Africa, poverty, a lack of resources, and a lack of opportunities combine with outdated societal practices; all too often the community’s children face an uphill climb to achieve the knowledge and skills they, their families and the community needs to sustain their development in a digital-first world.    

But the spirit of East African youth is strong and their thirst for knowledge is vibrant. All they (and their families) need is a little encouragement and support. 

Children (and girls in particular) that have access to education, reproductive knowledge and supplies, social and business skills, and digital assets strengthen their families and communities. By empowering these youth through education and resources their families can grow.

A father’s drive to secure his family’s future 

Charles, a single father in Uganda’s Nyarukoma community, was forced to drop out of school in 2017. He had a choice to make, to either falter or use this as motivation to take control of his and his family’s destiny. He chose the latter. 

You see, Charles joined Asante Africa’s Nyarukoma Community Learning Group, one of many community groups focused on continued education for out-of-school youth. The groups meet regularly and its members are driven by a shared vision to uplift their communities through education and empowerment. 

With a family to provide for, Charles began cultivating maize. With time and experience, he was able to expand his business and diversify with a larger range of produce.

 Having experienced the success that comes from continued learning and hard work, Charles is far from satisfied. To this day, his continued involvement with entrepreneurship sessions underscore an insatiable thirst for knowledge and professional growth. 

Not only has the work Charles put in ensured a more prosperous future for his family, but his story demonstrates the strength (and inspiration) of community support. 

Ugandan school girls address community needs

The Wezesha Vijana Program guides young girls to empower one another and educate their peers on matters of personal health & hygiene. Without this knowledge (and the resources that come with it) young girls often miss school intermittently, or drop out entirely after early pregnancies. 

However, a group of determined young Ugandan school girls were inspired by the Wezesha Vijana Program and identified an issue they wanted to address: the lack of access to sanitary products for girls in their school.

These empowered girls understood the importance of menstrual hygiene for girls’ education, and they launched a project to generate income to provide sanitary pads for their peers. By raising money to grow and harvest fruit they used the profits to fund their project – all while balancing their studies .

As a result, the girls directly addressed a critical need in their community…and indirectly  inspired others to believe in the power of collective action.

Supporting families to empower strong communities

Just about every academic study on earth has concluded that children are much more likely to succeed when they have strong families to support them. Having strong communities to support those families is a force-multiplier that creates a sustainable cycle of development and success.   

Knowing this, Asante Africa Foundation’s goal from the start has been that of partnering with rural communities in East Africa to provide resources and support to underserved youth. This approach empowers and encourages the parents, families and leading stakeholders to take an active role in their community’s development and, most critically, in the lives of their future leaders.  

To commemorate this day of the family, please consider supporting Asante Africa’s mission so that the families of rural East Africa are empowered to strengthen their communities well into the year.