Anny Bwengye is the founder of In Need Home. When she was younger she came to the realisation that she never lacked anything. She always had enough food, was always able to pay school fees and had a roof over her head. She lived in a rural area therefore the gap between her lifestyle and the people around her was evident. This observation made her come to the conclusion that when she is older her mission will be to help people that are less fortunate. Essentially using her privilege to better peoples lives. That is the amazing story on how In Need Home was born.
In Need Home’s mission and primary objectives
-> The mission of In need home is to work towards a vulnerable free generation in hope to make them thrive and ensure that they are in safe conditions.
->In Need Home has three main objectives that they focus on:
1. To bridge the education gap between the vulnerable children in marginalised groups.
2. To contribute to elimination of poverty in vulnerable households where vulnerable children come from
3. To contribute to child safe guarding, stroke protection in marginalised communities in Uganda especially slums
Statements from Anny:
What are some key achievements the NGO has accomplished since inception?
“The greatest achievement to me is being able to see children who have completed their studies through the organisation and women who have been able to start successful businesses of their own”
Can you highlight any specific projects or initiatives that the NGO is currently working on?
“Currently we are skilling women in tailoring and hair dressing. We have also started a program of teaching women to take care of babies, the sick and the elderly. And of course sponsoring children to complete their educational journey”
What is your vision for the future of the NGO, and what goals do you hope to achieve in the coming years?
“Because school fees is very high we hope to open our own secondary and primary school to accommodate the children we recruit. We also have a skilling centre above the offices and we hope to expand it by adding another floor on top of the building. This would mean we can accommodate a lot more children (200 at least). Lastly, we would love to invest in land for sustainable farming to provide the children with food way more easily.”
What are the major challenges the NGO has faced, and how have you addressed them?
“Our sponsors drop out with no warning leaving us in debt and with a lack of school fees. The only thing we can do is try look for new sponsors. Guardians of the children are meant to help top up the schools fees but they don’t because they don’t have the money. To combat this we started the empowerment program (helping them start small businesses) to help guardians make money. Simple payments are also a problem eg. rent and electricity. We started a social enterprise section to raise extra costs to help us with extra costs.”
What advice would you give to others interested in starting or leading an NGO with a similar mission?
“They should have the passion, NGO is not about making money it’s about giving back to the community therefore you need to be fully equipped with that mindset if you want to succeed in this industry”
In Need Home has recently started a small business where they produce sweet potato crisps under the brand name Oishi Kempe Cruncheez. They also package and sell honey from Karamoja and West Nil from trusted farmers they know. The earnings made will go to helping pay off the debt of many children school fees. These two products are being sold at Capital shoppers, so if anyone comes across them it would be amazing if you could purchase in support of In Need Home!