From 11-14 September, HomeNet International organised an exposure visit for three HomeNet Africa representatives to SEWA, the single largest trade union of informal economy women workers, and also an HNI affiliate. Among the participants were HomeNet Kenya’s Chairperson and HNI Treasurer Jemima Nyakongo, Thabile Nxumalo, representative of Home-based Workers South Africa Association, and HomeNet Africa

HomeNet Kenya membership identified a savings and a loan scheme as an opportunity under the livelihoods improvement thematic area. The process towards realization of the same has been condensed under the need for a Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (SACCO) that will enable the membership to set aside money from the crafts and other income

The HomeNet Africa strategic plan identifies 5 key strategic areas to focus on in the years 2022-2026; one amongst them “Growing regionally to be fully representative of the continent from east to west and north to south including the diverse nations of Africa.” To this end, the annual plan for the period starting May 2023

Delegates noted a lot of positive highlights from the Congress held from 25th-28th April, in Kathmandu Nepal.

HomeNet Africa has held a number of activities since the HNI physical congress in April 2023. Their focus has been on constitution-building of HomeNet Africa and HomeNet Tanzania.

Ngalo Buwereza Organisation (NBO) held its first national workshop in Kampala, Uganda. The purpose of the workshop was to unite home-based workers from across Uganda under one umbrella to build solidarity and to create ownership and clarity around the objectives of NBO amongst its members.

HomeNet Africa held a preparatory meeting for the HNI Congress in the month of February, 2023 in Entebbe, Uganda. Were present affiliates delegates from Kenya (10) , Uganda (10) and Tanzania (5) together with observer participants from South Africa (1) and Ethiopia (1), who were joined by a HNI delegation of 3, the Ngalo Buwereza Organization chairperson (1), WIEGO (1) and the regional coordination support (1).

The five countries currently represented in HNA, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda met in December 2021 and February 2022 to agree the vision and goals for building a regional home-based workers’ network. The vision is for home-based workers to have our own registered organisation that addresses all our needs as over-burdened women workers.

2022 was the first time that HNI African affiliates and allied organisations took the initiative to plan their own way to celebrate International Home-Based Workers Day; as home-based workers always joined or participated in activities initiated at the global level. After discussing several ways of how Homenet Africa could celebrate the date, they decided to

By: Lydia Nabbaka (Tukolerewamu Organisation) and Agnes Kabuye (Envirojewels)

After the culmination of the Flow Project, supported by WIEGO under the Uganda Federation for Fair Trade, Home-based Worker leaders got together in 2018 and began planning for a Home-based Workers network in Uganda.