It was therefore common for them to lack a proper meal and education for the children. Moreover, when Bukirwa gave birth, she did not have enough breast milk for the baby. Upon meeting a Child-support program implementer, she narrated her ordeal and it soon became obvious that her situation needed a long-term solution.
You need to bear in mind, that until this moment in her life, Bukirwa had never done any income generating activity and was totally dependent on her husband for everything. She was however encouraged to start thinking about what she could do with her own hands to bring a regular income. With a soft loan of one hundred thousand Uganda shillings, Bukirwa started her business of selling roasted bananas, known locally as Gonja. This she started three months after giving birth.
She was encouraged to save a small amount on a weekly basis. She was told that this sum was a loan that she needed to repay, without interest, so that other women could be helped too. From saving a few shillings, she soon started saving ten thousand Uganda shillings per week and gradually kept saving more and more. She was also taught basic financial practices, hence she could balance her books and understood her profits and losses.
Described as a very consistent person, Bukirwa had saved up to one million shillings by the end of that year. Her diligence inspired other women and this had a ripple effect. By the end of 2012, up to 10 women were in this community and they could borrow from each other.
Believe it or not, through selling her Gonja and saving and working tirelessly, Bukirwa reached a state where she could borrow money from the pool of their savings and bought land, then repaid the loan.
It is 2018, and she has built her own house and is still selling her Gonja. She plans to build a few rentals for each of her children, so that the money can be used to pay for their education.
In other news, Pendeza Uganda has been officially launched with the aim of sponsoring children (as a short-term goal) but also empower low-income earning families to break away from the cycle of poverty.
This is just one story, but Pendeza Uganda now boasts of over 450 members, who have all been impacted. Follow Pendeza Uganda closely for more updates.
