You may wonder why we are pasting up a website update on this day...after all, doesn't Tigers only work with boys?????

Well, International Women's Day provides a welcome chance to show you just how involved women and girls really are in our work!

There are already a lot of organisations helping street girls in Uganda, so Tigers decided to work with them and refer girls to their projects rather than duplicate efforts and resources by starting our own work with street girls. This is all the more important as any work with street girls through Tigers would involve developing and resourcing a new outreach strategy. After all, football remains a male dominated sport in Uganda and many girls are caught up in work within households or in networks of prostitution and are therefore more "hidden" than boys.

Many women and girls benefit from our work; for example mothers whose emotional well-being is improved after their missing son is reunited with the family; mothers and siblings of resettled and fostered children who enjoy the impact of the family income generation support offered by Tigers, especially seeing it is often women and girls who have to deny themselves food our education when family income is scarce; and , of course, the girls who seek assistance from the Tigers Club Project and are referred to appropriate partner organisations.

But not only do women and girls benefit from our work--in fact, Tigers would not be where it is without them! The dedication and commitment of Tigers foster mamas, for example, who do not shy away from the challenge of giving a former street child a home and working with him throughout the difficult process of reintegration to overcome past trauma and hurt never ceases to humble both staff and visitors to the project. Their efforts benefit the fostered child but also many other street children waiting to be fostered, as the "mamas" also play a key role in helping us spread the news about the programme, in identifying potential new foster carers and sharing feedback .
Within the Clubhouse, there are also many women who help to make our work possible, including those who help to prepare meals on Thursdays, one of whom we will be telling you about in the next ROAR;
volunteers working on the medical programme, and, of course, our many female staff members both at the Clubhouse and at Tudabujja,the Halfway Home.
We also think today of our female trustees, advisors and supporters, many of whom are juggling family life, work and Tigers commitments to help us make a difference, and, of course, of Maggie Crewes, who is conducting feasibility work for us in Ethiopia.

Three cheers to all of them on International Women's Day!

---