Reaching the Unreached

I am now a month into my time in Uganda and it’s safe to say I am loving life here! I’ve had the privilege of volunteering with Ziingo, an incredible charity dedicated to uplifting women and children living in extreme poverty. Their mission is simple yet powerful: to empower communities often left behind by the rest of the world. Our recent work has taken us deep into rural eastern Uganda, into mountain villages where poverty, isolation, and resilience coexist.

We think we have a pothole problem in the UK, but wow, nothing could have prepared me for the roads out here. Travelling between communities meant hours on bumpy, uneven dirt tracks, dodging holes that could honestly swallow a small car, finding roads and bridges destroyed by the rain, which is just one more challenge layered into a life already full of obstacles.

These are communities that few ever reach - high in the hills. Many of the people we met live day to day, repeating the same routine to secure just enough food and water to keep their families alive. In these places, support systems are scarce, and the pressure of survival has sadly bred cycles of violence, especially in the home. Children grow up mirroring what they see, and the consequences of this are heartbreaking.

Something I’ve witnessed regularly on our way up to these villages is young children, no older than two or three, handling large kitchen knives. Initially I was shocked - instinctively worried for their safety - but the locals explained this was normal. These children grow up learning survival skills from the moment they can walk. Still, it’s a reminder of just how different life is here.

Ziingo has made it their mission to reach these forgotten villages. One of our most impactful initiatives has been delivering women’s empowerment training and education around domestic abuse. We’ve also taught hundreds of women how to make reusable sanitary towels, a skill that not only gives them dignity but gives them knowledge that can be shared throughout their communities. The enthusiasm was overwhelming. In a place where training and visitors are rare, the hunger for learning was inspiring and moving.

We are always greeted with a very warm welcome in the form of a song and dance, however in one village, after our training session, the women offered us fruit and vegetables they had grown in the communal garden supported by Ziingo and brought along some clothes to show us made by a tailoring business that Ziingo supported to set up.

During the sessions, we also provided simple refreshments like chapattis and drinks. The reaction was almost painful to witness. The women went to extreme measures to make sure they were able to receive something. The desperation for a small bite to eat reminded me of just how deep the need runs in these communities.

The Toilet Experience

I’m going to talk about the toilet situation - because it’s a very real part of the experience. In the communities we visited, there are no bathrooms for miles. Using the toilet means finding the cleanest pit latrine you can… which, in some places, is saying a lot. It’s a humbling reminder of the daily realities women and girls face - even something as simple as going to the toilet requires a strong stomach.

And when we talk about period poverty, we can’t ignore the lack of sanitation facilities. Without access to safe, private spaces, managing periods becomes even more difficult - especially for young girls who are already vulnerable to shame and stigma.

Having said that, you find things you would never expect in the furthest away places. When reaching the very top of a remote mountain we found a women’s football match in full swing -  How amazing!

A story that has marked this journey deeply is that of a severely malnourished baby girl Eva we met - the same child featured in my first blog post. Abandoned at birth, now in the care of her HIV-positive grandmother, she had never been seen by a doctor. With the help of Ziingo, we took her and her grandmother to Cure Hospital, where she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and severe malnutrition. Although that hospital couldn’t admit her, we continued searching until we found a facility able to begin her treatment. We've since provided her with vital nutrition support - soya, milled oats, and milk - enough to last for several months. Eva’s grandmother, also called Eva, has 4 other children and Ziingo sponsor her two young sons to attend school, changing the course of the families futures.

As I write this, we’re still on that journey - navigating hospitals, appointments, and follow-up care. We were told that if action isn’t taken then baby Eva won’t ever be able to walk and the likely outcome would be death from starvation. Now we have a diagnosis, a referral for a paediatrician, and the beginnings of hope.

To close this chapter of the trip, we ended one day with a trek around Sipi Falls. Everyday there it rains so much, and this day was no exception. I was absolutely soaking from head to toe and my wellies (here called Gam boots) were half full of water. The scenery was breathtaking- waterfalls, mist-covered cliffs, and homes nestled deep within the mountains. But even in that beauty, my thoughts were with the people. How do they survive so far from services, support, and the outside world? The answer, it seems, lies in their extraordinary strength and the work of organisations like Ziingo that refuse to forget them. To find out how you can support Ziingo please see bottom of this page.

This experience has reshaped my understanding of poverty, resilience, and community. Ziingo is truly changing lives - not with grand gestures, but through compassion and empowerment. I’m honoured and grateful to God to walk this path with them.

And I hope, in some small way, this blog helps you see the lives behind the statistics of real people, full of strength, determination and dreams, simply waiting to be seen.

Thank you for reading.

Love and blessings,

Alice xx

If you'd like to support this important work, please consider donating to Ziingo - https://gofund.me/53304678

Find out more about the work of Ziingo https://ziingo.org