St. Monica’s

SCIAF has been working in partnership with St. Monica’s since 2005. Together, we helped and in 2008 helped over 480 girls and young women in 2008..

St. Monica’s Girls’ Tailoring Centre in Gulu, northern Uganda, provides support and training to vulnerable young women, including young mothers, who were forced to become slave wives when they were abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army, and young women living with HIV and AIDS.

The project that SCIAF is currently supporting provides one to three year courses in tailoring, catering, agriculture, traditional crafts and business administration to enable the women to live independently upon leaving the centre. A day care centre for their young children (under 5 yrs) is provided, as are loans to help the girls secure training and start up businesses of their own. St. Monica’s also liaise with local businesses to try and secure work placements for many of the young women once they have completed the training courses.

In 2008 the project was extended to build a clinic for the young mothers and their children to which SCIAF contributed over £25,000 of our supporter’s donations. St. Monica’s provides a safe environment for the long term care and training of young women.

Over the course of the four year partnership with St. Monica’s SCIAF has provided over £125,000.

Sister Rosemary – Director of St. Monicas said:

“I always say thanks to SCIAF who came to our aid because without them, we would never have been able to help as many of the girls, women and their children.

“The women here were abducted and taken to the bush where they were kept as sex slaves and taught to fight. They had their dignity snatched from them, they had no say. We want to bring up these women, give them skills, return their dignity and help them stand up for themselves.”

Eveline Grace escaped from a rebel attack. She is 30 years old and has one child.

After the attack Eveline asked to be allowed into St Monica’s where she learnt tailoring and worked to pay her child’s school fees. Her brother was abducted and has not been seen since. She conceived a child but was deserted by the father. Eveline wants to get a certificate in crafts so that she can become a teacher.

“If St Monica’s had not been here I don’t know where my life would be. In fact, I would not be alive because it was too painful. There was nowhere to go. The people here were so kind and look after the people who are suffering. That is why today I can see the light.”

“I beg God to help bring peace to northern Uganda - for without that we cannot do anything.”