As part of VMware’s Citizen Philanthropy approach to giving, we believe that empowering everyone to choose the cause areas and nonprofits that matter most to them, and supporting them to be active and engaged citizens in their communities helps advance social change; because this only happens when many people choose to take action.
Yasemin Oezdolap is a Distribution Partner Business Manager with VMware and is based in Germany. She supports the charity, ‘Global Network for Uganda Volunteers Foundation’ and shares her insights about how she first came across GNUVF and her partnership with them.
I first came across the Global Network for Uganda Volunteers Foundation (GNUVF) seven years ago when I was researching organisations in Africa that help children in need. I actually interviewed three organizations and then selected GNUVF, which I have been donating to and supporting ever since.
The charity is located in rural Wakiso district, Kajjansi Town Council, Ssisa Village. Eva Rhonda Nabwire (Executive Director) set it up 10 years ago to provide free education, basic needs and to empower vulnerable women. She focuses on helping women in need especially when they are alone and have children. In her region, people do not have enough money to buy food or clothes. Running water is not like we know it in Germany and they don’t have a free school system either.
Eva, her mother, and her siblings were victims of domestic violence and grew up in extreme poverty. They had hardships and lacked all basic needs because their father abandoned them. A good Samaritan supported them, and they became empowered. This is why Eva supports those in need like she was before.
GNUVF supports 250 children with education and basic needs at their charity school, helps empower 300 vulnerable women through providing vocational skills, and also assists in setting up small-scale businesses for them.
Eva and I became friends and I loved her approach the minute we were first introduced. Whenever I make a donation she always sends me a very comprehensive word document afterward with what my donation went towards and how it was spent. That was exactly what I was looking for.
I use my donations to focus on school and building more classrooms. This year I was supporting building a classroom for the children but due to limited funds, the project was postponed. I am looking for more funds to complete the classroom so I can enable more children to have free education. At the moment, they have only four small classrooms, with each classroom accommodating 60 children each. For computers, they only have one and it’s shared by 250 children and 5 teachers.
And, they are always in need of volunteers. Luckily, VMware supports us in doing so much good through Citizen Philanthropy and our Service Learning Hours. Each year we are given funds to donate to a charity of our choice, and I always encourage my colleagues to think of GNUVF. And this year, in 2023, I will fly to Uganda and use my 40 hours of Service Learning to volunteer. I might stay longer as we have the chance to work from anywhere for a certain time.
Learn more about the Global Network for Uganda Volunteers here https://gnuvf.com
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