Many women (often 50%) in the rural areas of Uganda remain illiterate. They are not able to take part fully in life being at a disadvantage to those who can read, write and count. This can cause them to suffer discrimination and to be vulnerable or trapped in unsupportive relationships. Their lack of self-confidence in public settings, potentially cheated in the market and unable to read packet labels or sign their name on documents, or read medicine labels. Illiteracy is disempowering.

Our Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) programme provides first-time access to literacy skills for women in rural communities across Uganda and beyond. It is combined with life skills and especially designed and delivered in supportive groups so as to empower women both socially and economically. They become able to improve their homesteads and create income generating projects for themselves and their groups through improved agriculture, improved water sources and better hygiene and nutrition.