Crafts
Tusubila. One of the primary field projects of the Iowa State University-Uganda Program is Community Nutrition. ISU-UP runs Nutrition Education Centers (NECs) to assist and educate women about proper nutrition of children, from birth to age five, and pregnant and breastfeeding women. The Tusubila crafts group first emerged from the NECs in 2015. The aim of this crafts project is to improve lives and assure the long-term well-being of NEC program graduates through income generating enterprises. In January of 2018, a group of mothers formalized as the Tusubila Crafts Group, a community-based organization (CBO) certified by the local Butansi Sub County Community Development Officer to launch their enterprise. “Tusubila” translates to hope.
Uganda Alliance. Nearing the completion of her Semester Along the Nile Katie Stringer, Senior- Global Resource Systems, pondered how she could build upon the relationships she established in Kamuli, tell the stories of the people, and broaden market opportunities for the women of Tusubila. When she contacted the CSRL office, she learned she was in exactly the right place at precisely the right time, and led the charge to form the Uganda Alliance, a campus organization at ISU. The Uganda Alliance, est. July 2019, is designed to broaden knowledge of the ISU-Uganda Program among faculty, students, and community members. The organization will also conduct sales of products produced by rural enterprise projects through a “Globe Pop-up Shop” to increase economic opportunities for the people of Uganda to increase economic opportunities for NEC graduates and mothers of Kamuli District.
We invite you to meet the women of Tusubila, see their beautiful products, and join the Uganda Alliance (membership is open to everyone)!
To make a gift to the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, please click here to go directly to the ISU Foundation, or contact Sarah Roelfs at (515) 294-1031 or sroelfs@foundation.iastate.edu.