The Success Story Of Aluga Grace

Aluga Grace (60) is a female change agent from North Eastern Uganda, Kumi District, Ngora Sub County in Apana Parish. She first encountered with UCAA in 1991 and was trained with the Change Agent Methodology in 1992. Before she was trained by UCAA with the Change Agent Methodology, she was employed by vision TERUDO. She was also a peasant farmer. She was already a single parent with 8 children living within her community and had no land or any kind of own asset.

She would borrow whenever need arose but paying back was always so hard for her. She had minor income and limited knowledge on resource mobilization and lacked exposure. “I could not take decisions for most of the plans I had, there was much self-pity and inferiority complexity in me” Aluga stated as she narrated her story.She extends her gratitude to UCAA for the Change Agent training that improved her life. She gained confidence and a number of skills in individual and group fundraising, auditing, training of trainers, accounting and most of all she is in better position to take informed decisions.

It also became easy for her to interact with other categories of groups in development and thus had access to information regarding development aspects. Aluga has since accumulated a number of assets and wealth for her family. “Now, I have the capacity to sustain my family with my own assets, I have 4 acres of land, I have educated my children to higher levels of learning and they are service providers in government other institutions” she explained. “I have also influenced formation of at least 5 farmers groups within my community, 10 Village Savings and Loan Associations, 2 community schools among others” Aluga added. She has also held leadership posts in various organizations and currently she is a Chair Person Board of Directors for Ngora SACCO. She also represents the Eastern region on the BOD in Uganda Central Co-Operative Financial Services (UCCFS) among others.