Gender equality is an ongoing challenge here in the United States, let alone in a remote village in Uganda. To say that women have a subservient role in the family is an understatement. In these villages, women become the primary providers for the entire family. The women are the ones that take care of the kids during the day and also are working, usually in agriculture. Even newborn babies are held by their mothers while they are working in the fields.

 

Where are the men? There is an immense alcohol and gambling problem that runs rampant. It is not uncommon for a man to be present in a bar or gambling establishment for extended periods of time throughout the day.

 

Women are frequently seen as someone to be married off at a young age, a child bearer and a means to provide for their husband, even if that includes alcohol and gambling. Many times, the women have no say in who they marry, as it becomes a business transaction between the seeking husband and the woman's father. All to often, women are being beaten either for not having meals prepared for their husbands, or for not giving them money.

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How can we help?

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At Kagavu, the goal of the Esther Project is to teach young women that they have a purpose for God's kingdom that is much greater than what society tells them currently. They are not just made for being someone to give birth and be abused. Partnering with the Our Father Primary School, it is our aim to bridge the gap of this extreme gender inequality. We seek to establish a curriculum that will educate both young men and young women about what a biblical marriage looks like, and what the roles for men and for women should look like.

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The most current project just completed in November 2018 is a refuge for some of these women that are in dire circumstances. Battered, abused and disowned young women will now have this beautiful home to serve as a temporary "safe house".