A WhatsApp group that was started as a means of social networking among peers, has become a game changer in transforming the livelihoods of communities in Nyakishenyi Sub-county in Rukungiri District.
According to Mr Moses Tukesiga, the coordinator of the Nyakishenyi at Heart group, it was established in 2021 by a group of 20 youth. Its membership has since grown to 1,200.
He says that as years progressed, they realised they had to use the group to empower communities. The group has embarked on massive fundraising where they have mobilised and spent over Shs200m on community development activities.
These include holding medical camps, supporting school- going children with scholastic materials and constructing homes for the needy families.
Members also raised Shs3m within days after a video exposed the severe poverty in Kakonde village.
‘One of our members posted a video clip showing the living conditions of the people, it depicted extreme poverty, in the village of 500 residents there are only two iron sheet roofed homes, the rest are grass thatched, no roads, health facilities,’ he said.
Mr Tukesiga said after seeing the video in a few days members mobilised Shs3m and sent a team to assess the poverty situation on ground and donated some household items that included soap, food stuff and beddings.
‘We realised our communities back home were in dire poverty. We noted that if our colleagues had a chance to visit this community, we would be ashamed by the visible poverty indicators, such as the many grass thatched homes,’ he added.
On Wednesday, June 23, the group members visited Kakonde village in Nyakishenyi, one of the areas where residents live in extreme poverty.
‘We were there mainly to assess the situation, report to members and then mobilise resources to come and assist these people.
But we could not go empty handed, hence going with a few donations,’ Mr Tukesiga said The residents urged leaders to provide better social services to the area.
Mr Moses Byaruhanga, 49, a resident, said the nearest health facility and school are about 15 kilometres away.
‘Our children do not go to school because of the long distances, the sick get healed at the mercy of God. Even those that engage in farming cannot access the market because of the poor road network,’ he said.
Ms Musiimenta Munda, 76, another resident, said: ‘People live in extreme poverty and we do not have any income generating activity here. We appeal to government and other well-wishers to come and economically empower our community,’ he said.
How it started.
I hatched a plan of forming a WhatsApp group of people born and raised in Nyakishenyi Sub-county purposely for networking. I sold the idea to a few friends and we started the group but it was mainly for networking. It is where we would share information on weddings, burials and social outings,”- Mr Moses Tukesiga, coordinator, Nyakishenyi at Heart group