Age 30, 4 children, Arts and Crafts When you look at Irene you see a free woman. It’s in her eyes, it’s in her smile, it is in the way she carries herself and in the pride she takes in her work. Irene is no longer in captivity and neither is her voice. She has…
Spotlight: Gorret Nabukenya
Age 45, 6 Children, Arts & Crafts Gorret is one of those people that lights up a room when she walks in. She is the first to give you a big hug when you walk in and always a sparkle in her eye. She transcends loveliness and always makes an extra effort to look nice…
Spotlight: Margaret Namugga
MARGARET NAMUGGA Age 53 no children. Tailoring Margaret is one of the most determined women I have ever met, something you might not realize at first when you hear her small voice and see her humble nature. She is quiet but has a sparkle in her eye that glimmers louder than any voice when she…
Spotlight: JOSEPHINE NALUBEGA
Age 46, 8 Children. Salon. Josephine doesn’t say much, but she has a strong presence. She is shy in the way that doesn’t mean she is unsure of herself, but in the way that is more comfortable as an observer. She uses this observance to excel at the skills she is learning in the hairdressing…
Spotlight: Jennifer Nabukenya
JENNIFER NABUKENYA. Age 46. 2 children. Arts & Crafts. Jennifer is usually one of the first women to show up at the center for class and is hardly ever absent. When she can’t make it, you sense the void of her contagious energy. Her voice is husky and her laugh hearty. She usually has a…
Cooperatives, Group Savings & Microfinance
One of the most magical things about the Glow Effect Centre is the camaraderie you find within. Despite the odds, women have defied the norms by standing up for themselves and coming together to form a group based on the desire to forge a better life for their families and their communities and break the cycle…
Why we work with women
There are many arguments for women’s empowerment that you can easily find on the internet. Nearly every organization from USAID to the UN and every local and international NGO in between will tell you that women are the “cornerstone to development”. Women are “untapped potential”. They contribute to 80 % of the hours of work but…
Systems Thinking & Sustainable Development
I have recently finished the book Systems Thinking: A Primer, by Donella Meadows. If you have ever wondered to yourself how the world works, or how certain things about how we run the world don’t seem to work at all, this book is essential reading. Meadows writes, “Every thing we think we know about the…
Turning learning into action
Since obtaining the results of our pioneer program and realizing just how far our participants have come, I realized it is high time to turn the new knowledge and skills the ladies have learned into action. When I arrived the energy was still high, and women happily gathered together to create and share their stories with me….
Results and Transformations
“If the Glow Effect Center and it’s classes continue to be held and to grow it will change the society of Kasaali for the better. There will be more economic opportunity, healthier people, less domestic violence and less sexual abuse and rape. With the advancement of The Glow Effect Center, Kasaali and our surrounding communities…
Spotlight: Safina
Name: Safina Role in The Glow Exchange: Arts and Crafts leader Age: 25 Profession: Teacher Reason for joining: “At first I was hesitant to join but as it went on I gained more and more interest. Sharing with others can lift you up to the next step.” Biggest accomplishments participating in TGX: “Prior to TGX,…
The Glow Effect Centre for Women & Girls: Week 1
I have arrived in Uganda and am getting settled in Kasaali, a small village 10 miles outside of Masaka. Straddling the equator, I am surrounded by small plantations of banana trees, coffee plants, cassava and coco yams. The sun shines directly overhead, drying the dirt roads until they crack. We are in the middle of…
Uganda Glow! 