By Joshua Oballim: BAP has taken many steps forward in joining other organisations in the fight for social change and recovery in Northern Uganda, it is now partnering with a lot of other organisations which includes Acholi Education Initiative, VSO, Save the Children in Uganda, Diocese of Northern Uganda, GWED-G, Care International and many others who are currently working with hundreds and thousands of women and youth groups in northern Uganda but still connecting with many more organisations to partner with.

Our partners managed to mobilize a number of groups they have been working with and introduced them to use and now they have been sensitized about the bicycle programme, how it works and the mode of repayment of which they are more than interested in our programme and even many non- group members are coming in to join the existing groups so that they can access the bike and also so many more groups are being created in the name of BAP’s programme.

Interestingly report from our partner organisations who visit the groups more often shows that the groups who have received the bicycles already are doing so well and its shocking that this programme is so far changing the people’s lives more faster than was anticipated, the report shows that there is more income in their hands through bulk sale of their farm products of which transporting it to the main market was a problem and they can access clean drinking water with ease including access to better health care services.

 

 

One of our partners that always come and attend our bicycle distribution is Acholi Education Initiatives (AEI) who offer a lot of support for this programme including encouraging group members to fully commit to the payment as well as follow-up on payments and in case there are defaulters.

With this kind of partnerships and commitments, nothing can stop us from expanding beyond the Northern region of Uganda, we are ready to ride our bicycles and attend to other groups who are in need of social and economic change who are beyond Northern Uganda and change their lives.