The Ateb group is involved in encouraging the development of businesses in Mbale as a means of relieving poverty directly by enabling people to earn an income.
The Mechanical Engineering Workshop is a significant business enterprise that is detailed spearately.
Additionally, the team is working on setting up Direct Trade links so that our partner organisations can make products and sell them profitably in the UK. As a trial, some bead jewellery made by women from UWCM (one of our partner NGOs) was brought back and successfully sold in the UK. An import/export business is now in the process of being set up to enable goods to be brought into the UK with all appropriate taxes being paid. Initially this will be used to import more bead jewellery. Currently the appearance and type of some of the jewellery is only likely to appeal to those particularly interested in African type jewellery. Discussions are underway with UWCM to encourage them to make jewellery that will be of more general appeal to the western tastes, which would considerably increase the available market.
We are now looking to expand the direct trade links to our other partner NGOs.
The church links are also involved in a micro finance scheme which advances small loans to families and community groups to help them set up businesses.
