The goal of UECD (Ugandan Empowerment and Career Development) is to empower and develop socially disadvantaged young people from Uganda so that they can take the future into their own hands. We place particular value on encouraging and supporting young women who lack equal rights and chances in daily life to profit both in career and politics. After completing their training these young people will be in the position to help others make a profitable career. They become Junior Consultants on the Board of UECD Uganda for a period of five years, and take over the lead of UECD Uganda on the level of operation.
Sponsors and students enjoy personal contact by e-mailing, skyping and traveling together in Uganda. Of course it is also possible for sponsors to send funds to UECD Switzerland without personal contact. Ninety percent (90%) of contributions go directly toward the cost of running our programs. This exchange through direct contact has as its goal a growing knowledge and understanding of mutual culture, going in both directions, Africa to Europe and vice-versa.
Continuation and maintenance of our goals is assured, in that Ugandan women and men live in a collective society wherein an entire family can be supported with the income generated by one who earns. Thus, a large number of people can be enriched and helped to overcome poverty.
The realization of our goals is based on a presumption of equality between men and women in society, on social justice, on human rights, peace and the possibility of human development. Particularly for those who live in fringe groups, it is essential that education and training be a top priority to overcome poverty. UECD began with two students, Doreen and Ronald from Kampala, Uganda. With their sponsorship, these students were able to complete their studies and now Doreen works as a midwife while Ronald is a lawyer. After their graduation, both desired to share their good fortune with other
young people and to engage in the struggle against impotence and poverty. In this way, the foundation was laid for the NGO UECD with Doreen and Ronald serving as Junior Consultants on the Board.
Rules and contracts were developed for the process of admitting new students, and since 2007, UECD Switzerland exists as an Association in Zürich, Switzerland, acknowledged as a public serving tax-exempt institution. Since that year, we have accepted between two and four new students each year. With this growth we have been able to insure the quality of helping our students in their ventures; they are carefully accompanied to the point of graduation and often beyond. To date, 2019, sixteen students have successfully completed their programs and six are still in the process of reaching their goal.
Students are given the responsibility of managing their stipends. The budget and amount given are controlled jointly by the Board of UECD Uganda and the Board of UECD Switzerland.
The career development of these young people has led to their financial autonomy, wherein - staying true to the African tradition of sharing their relations - their own children, and - through professional development - the entire Ugandan society is supported and enriched.
Educated women choose educated men. Educated men support their educated wives in that they bring career, family, and partnership under a single roof. Generally our graduates choose to have between one and three children. Education works to discourage early pregnancies, prostitution or the servant status to which uneducated women are often condemned. Directly and indirectly, our education project works to find the way out of poverty. We thank you so much for supporting us.
Eva Winizki, President of UECD Switzerland
UECD Switzerland
Ackersteinstrasse 79
8049 Zurich
Switzerland
info@uecd.ch
