<div>GoGreen Social Initiative is a refugee-led nonprofit organization registered with the Republic of Uganda. Founded by Congolese refugee Elijah Astute, GGSI provides a variety of skills training to benefit refugees, particularly young teen mothers, living in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda.
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<div><strong>GoGreen seeks $1,000 to deliver two critical skills trainings in 2024 to empower 50 refugees, primarily teen and young single mothers. </strong>
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<div><strong>Crochet, Handicraft &amp; Basket Making (August - September 2024) - $400</strong>
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<div>A multi-day training in various handcrafts such as crochet, knitting, and basket making will empower 25 single and teen mothers with the skills needed to produce handfcrafts for income generation. Supplies needed include yarn, crochet hooks, basket materials, scissors, straps, rope, elastic, and glue. Donations of yarn from the United States have already been made to allow each woman to return home with their own yarn to practice.
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<div><strong>Permaculture Design Certificate Course (November 2024) - $600</strong>
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<div>A full PDC will be delivered in November 2024 to provide 35 single and teen mothers with certification in Permaculture Design. Funds will be used to provide seeds, teaching materials, lunch, and refreshments. An introductory one-day course was already provided to over 25 women who are anxious and eager to come back for a full PDC.
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<div><strong>GGSI Purpose &amp; Programming</strong>
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<div>The purpose of GGSI is to restore food security within the Nakivale Refugee Settlement through mushroom growing, permaculture and syntropic agroforestry, skills training and promoting local arts and crafts. GGSI is also currently fundraising to complete its Mushroom Lab and Education Center. <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-gogreen-complete-education-center-and-mushroom-lab" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here</a> should you wish to support the completion of the facility.
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<div><strong>Urgency of Programming</strong>
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<div>There is an urgency to delivering this suite of programming and thus an urgency to completing the construction of these buildings and securing the land.
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<div>At the Nakivale Settlement food distribution has been cut off and residents are not getting the amount of food they used to. They are left to make do with only USD$5 a month. This combined with difficult living situations, lack of clean water, exposure to diseases, and few job opportunities has created a crisis situation for many families, particularly single mothers with young children.
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<div><strong>Skills Training for Single Mothers</strong>
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<div>Following the COVID epidemic, there was a significant increase in the number of new single mothers at Nakivale. Many of them are teenage mothers and are especially vulnerable. In some cultures, teenage mothers are expelled from the home and are left to find shelter elsewhere, sometimes living on the streets. GGSI is committed to teaching these women skills and opening up income generating opportunities to them through several programs:
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<li>Kitchen gardening/composting
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<li>Crafting - crochet, sewing
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<li>Moringa soap making
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<div><strong>Programs Delivered to Date</strong>
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<div>Despite the fact that the educational center is not yet complete, GGSI has nonetheless started delivering essential programming.
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<div><strong>Moringa Soap Making Workshop</strong>
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<div>In June 2024, GGSI delivered a 2-day workshop training 25 women how to produce medicinal soap made from the herbal plant Moringa.
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<div>GGSI plans to deliver 4 of these trainings per year for a total of 100 women trained per year. After women attend the trainings, they will form a collective to continue making soap and start selling moringa bar soap at the market for income generation.
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<div><strong>Women Crafters Collective</strong>
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<div>A group of 15 women currently meet regularly three times a week for a crafting and crocheting program. There is a separate fundraiser set up to support the ongoing efforts of the Crafters Collective. To make a donation to support the Collective, click here: <a href="https://spot.fund/7tf78sc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Support Nakivale Women Crafters Collective</a>.
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<div><strong>Kitchen Gardening/Composting</strong>
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<div>GGSI held around three kitchen garden trainings in 2023 attended by 25 women each time. During the training they designed together a demonstrative site. After each training, they encouraged each and every participant to design her own kitchen garden at their own homes. All participants are encouraged to grow their own food to save their money and sell the crops to the neighborhood for income generation.
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<div><strong>History &amp; Vision</strong>
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<div>GoGreen Social Initiative was founded by Congolese refugee Elijah Astute and originally named Bio-Green. With the recent renaming to GoGreen Social Initiative and registration as a nonprofit organization with the Republic of Uganda, GGSI is well positioned to complete construction on its education center, construct a free-standing mushroom lab, and start providing a full suite of programming in mushroom growing, beekeeping, permaculture, and syntropic agroforestry to equip women and teen mothers with valuable agricultural skills. Donations to complete the facility can be made here: <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-gogreen-complete-education-center-and-mushroom-lab" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GoFundMe to complete the facility</a>.
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<div>Programs, several of which are already underway even without the education facility fully complete, include:
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<li>Implementing sustainable agricultural practices to restore and ensure food security within the settlement, reducing dependency on external aid.
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<li>Creating a supportive environment where women and teen mothers can connect, share experiences, and support each other, fostering a strong sense of community.
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<li>Promoting local arts and crafts to generate income and preserve cultural heritage, offering women and teen mothers additional revenue streams.
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<li>Establishing a self-sustaining model that can be replicated in other refugee settlements, contributing to broader social and economic development.
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<li>GoGreen aims to transform the Nakivale Refugee Settlement into a thriving community where women and teen mothers are empowered to take charge of their futures.
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<div><strong>About Elijah Astute, Founder of GoGreen</strong>
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<div>Elijah Astute, born Irenge Barhame Elia in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a multifaceted individual with a rich and inspiring journey. Fleeing his homeland to Uganda in September 2016 due to insecurities, Elijah has transformed his life experiences into a tapestry of resilience, passion, and dedication.
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<div>As a therapeutic yoga coach, Elijah helps individuals find balance and well-being through the practice of yoga. His expertise in this field is complemented by his talents as an author and poet, where he channels his experiences and insights into powerful written words that motivate and inspire.
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<div>Elijah's love for nature and sustainable living is evident in his work as a mushroom, bee, and forest farmer. He founded Bio-Green now GoGreen Social Initiative, a refugee-led organization dedicated to empowering women and teenage girls through food security and livelihood projects. His commitment to community development and environmental stewardship underscores his holistic approach to personal and societal growth.
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<div>With a goal to study tourism, Elijah's hobbies include traveling, walking, and running, reflecting his deep connection with the world around him. His life philosophy revolves around empowerment, sustainability, and the belief that everyone can make a difference.
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<div>Elijah Astute is not only a beacon of hope for many but also a testament to the power of perseverance and the impact of nurturing both the self and the community.
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