A Long Walk to Water
Each day is a work day for women and girls in rural Uganda so they can survive and provide for their families.
The day usually begins with a long walk to the borehole to pump water into jerry cans and carry each one, weighing about 40 pounds, back home.
Next, they start a fire with charcoal to cook. Then it’s out to the field to dig, plant, weed, or harvest the food they will feed to their family and sell to make money.
March is Women’s History Month, and March 8th is International Women’s Day. In honor of that, I’ll be sharing some stories from our women and girls.
Meet Nangobi Sharifa
Sharifa’s a single mother who belongs to the Muno Mukabi women’s community savings group in Kamuli, Uganda.
The group originally started to help each other when there was a death in the family. Muno Mukabi means “in bad times.” They supported each other with their small savings to pay for burial costs.
This was the first group we funded in Uganda with our partner Kapida seven years ago.
The chairwoman of the group came to us and asked for support so that they could grow and help each other start businesses. They needed a way to earn money so they could send their children to school.
Sharifa came to the group meetings, along with the other women, to learn the financial and business skills she would need to start her business. With a microloan from the group, Sharifa started selling basic supplies like soap, rice, beans, and cooking oil, at the trading post in her village.
Each month, Sharifa would save some money, use some to repay her loan, reinvest into her business, and grow her stock. Her inventory grew and she was able to carry more items requested by customers. This included some baked goods which she bought from other women and helped their businesses grow.
Sharifa has built a thriving business at the trading post. She and the other women had some challenging years during the Covid shutdown but now their businesses are growing again.
Sharifa’s shop at the trading post is packed with all kinds of items she knows her customers need and want. She has become a savvy businesswoman and she is now mentoring other women in her group, and the other community groups.
The most successful part of Sarah’s business is that she can support her family, and pay school fees to send her children to school.
This is the power of your donations. You have made it possible for Sharifa to live without aid!
We know that when we invest in women, they invest in their families.
With Gratitude,
Mary
P.S. If you want to honor and support women during Women’s History Month, or on International Women’s Day it’s easy to make a donation that will help lift a woman or girl out of poverty.
