Stories
December 3, 2025 • 2 min read
In Jinja District, Tadeo and his family spent years living in a small temporary shelter, unable to complete the permanent home they had started. When they joined GOAL’s INSPIRE project learning sessions, they gained new skills in planning, teamwork, and household goal setting. Using their PIP household action plan, the family began brick-making and other income-generating activities that helped them finish a four-room home. Their renewed partnership has strengthened their household and inspired others in their community to pursue change.
GOAL’s INSPIRE project supports communities in Uganda to strengthen household resilience by empowering families to analyse their situation, set shared goals, and take practical steps toward long-term improvements. Through the PIP (Participatory Integrated Planning) approach, families learn to create a vision for their future and work collaboratively to achieve it. Tadeo’s story reflects the impact of this approach at the household and community levels.
Recognising the Challenge
Before joining the INSPIRE project, 38-year-old Muwanguzi Tadeo lived with his wife and seven children in a temporary house built from seven iron sheets in the Budima Batuli community, Butagaya Sub-County. Their permanent house had remained unfinished for years, stalled at the beam level with no clear plan or resources to continue construction. “We were living in a challenging situation,” Tadeo recalled. “Our home was temporary, and completing the main house felt impossible.”
During the first INSPIRE community learning sessions, Tadeo and his wife were introduced to new concepts on family collaboration, shared decision-making, and practical goal-setting. Together, they identified their most urgent challenges: insufficient living space and low agricultural productivity.
Taking Action Through the PIP Approach
Motivated by what they learned, the family developed a PIP household action plan outlining the steps they would take over one to three years. One of their main strategies was to begin a small brick-making business. “We looked at our vision and agreed to start with what we had,” Tadeo said.
Working together, the family produced more than 10,000 bricks. They sold these to buy sand and cement, while proceeds from their sugarcane plantation allowed them to purchase additional iron sheets. With his background in construction, Tadeo led the building and roofing of their new four-room home, fondly named Bugaga Bukomye, with the active support of his wife and children. The family also bought a cow, which now provides milk for home use and income through sales.
Strengthening Partnership and Inspiring Others
Before their involvement with INSPIRE, the couple’s relationship was strained by daily challenges, which often led to conflict. “We used to think about separating because life was so hard,” Tadeo shared. Through the learning sessions, they gained a clearer understanding of the importance of unity and shared responsibility. Today, they continue to work as a team, making more bricks to save for doors, windows, and other improvements to their home.
Tadeo now serves as a PIP Innovator (PI), using his family’s experience to motivate others in the community. He hopes their story shows what is possible when families plan together and commit to their goals. “I want people to see that change is achievable,” he said. “If we can do it, others can too.”
