Skip to main contentShow accessibility statement
Change the world with your donation

What Impact Does Giving a Family Gift Have in a Child’s Life?

H. Nalugo Sabastian
H. Nalugo Sabastian wrote on 08-12-2015

On June. 6, 2009, Moses was involved in a terrible road accident. He had broken limbs and was immediately rushed to the hospital in a critical condition. Unfortunately, Moses' relatives did not take him to expert medical doctors, instead took him to a local herbal healer instead.

The herbal healer with his guess work kind of treatment used unscientific ways to join the injured limb bones. Moses lost his ability to walk or run. Many years have passed since that devastating accident, but Moses can hardly walk or stand for long.

“I had no other option but carrying digging gardens of neighbors in the community to survive other than stealing and selling my little piece of land. I am a disabled man. My right leg is almost paralyzed. I can’t walk or stand for long. No one hired me for a job. But I had to survive with my family at any cost.”Limit 600x450 image
Fig 1: Moses in Garden


After his accident, Moses lost hope for his life and family. He couldn’t find a job due to his weak limbs. He married a woman named Margaret, and their only child, Isaac, was born in 2011.

Moses struggled to provide for his family. He began to do casual labor in the neighbors fields. Life was full of misery and very unhappy. Limit 600x450 image

Fig 2: Moses in the Maize Garden of Neighbour

Moses doesn’t like to talk about the exploitation he experience in digging gardens for neighbors or how much he made because it still wasn’t enough to send his son to school. Moses did not want his son to become a casual laborer on the village like himself.

Good education is expensive in Uganda in comparison to many household incomes. Universal Primary Education in Uganda is one of the worst you can even think of.

When the NIRP formed a Community development group in the Buwunga community.   Moses and his wife Margaret saw it as a golden opportunity to improve their household incomes and livelihoods. It introduced different development programs for livelihood support, and Moses' family fully participated.

Over the last four years, Isaac and his father have gotten to know their community group and NIRP organization. Isaac receives better educational encouragement from members of the group and his father can easily take small loans from their group savings and pays later for Isaac to attend school.  He is able to support Isaac Education and all the educational materials (books, copies, pencils, etc.) he needs, including his school uniform.

Isaac’s school fee is no longer a problem for his father as NIRP has taught the family to fish other than giving a fish. Isaac’s parents are grateful that NIRP has improved the household livelihoods and the family can even provides lunch for their son and takes care of all his medical needs.

Moses was happy for his son, but the bigger changes began to take place as NIRP continued to innovate new development programs within the group.

NIRP never hand over cash gift money to the families. Instead, we make purchases according to the identified needs of the group. In Uganda, most families ask that domestic animals are purchased with the donations from donors like you both online and offline.  Domestic animals are very useful because selling milk and eggs creates an opportunity for the family to earn extra money.

Moses requested the group and NIRP buy them goats and chicken  for improved family livelihoods. They bought 2 goats, 2 hens and 1 Roaster (Cock). 

Every day he sells eggs liters and earns around $2.5. This little income is a great help for Moses' family. He quit digging neighbors gardens. The group chairperson advised and encouraged Moses to grow his own family land. Through continuous counseling with the Chairperson, Moses has changed his ways.

" I never imagined that my son would ever go to school and have an education. The group made it possible. My son is now receiving a good education, food and other benefits like other capable families in our village. Am ably taking care of my son. Not only that, but because of the gift NIRP, we now have a way to earn for our family. This helped me to get rid of the worst business.” - See more at:https://www.betterplace.org/en/projects/4436-ease-the-pain-among-children-affected-by-aids"

Subsequently, the family sold three of their goat offspring besides eggs incomes and are planning to buy a little piece of land where they can establish a small shop. Moses' older brother will be running that shop and giveing a share to Moses. With the love and efforts of the group, two families have benefited.

The shop will sell stationery items. Moses’s brother, who was previously unemployed, now earns a little income that he can contribute to his family.  Limit 600x450 image


Fig 3 : Moses goat keeping project

Limit 600x450 image




Fig 5; Moses buys pigs to diversify his income




Animal gifts will make this Christmas unforgettable