This is the second of a two-part series where we shine light on stories from the last mile of young girls and women getting and using the opportunities they need to reach their full potential. As they make their journeys, we see them resist the inequality entrenched in our systems, the systems that fuel gender-based violence. It starts with creating spaces where they feel safe and their voices are heard.
My father died when I was two. Since then, I was raised by a village – my village guarded fiercely by my mother, her siblings and my grandmother.
My mother made a small earning through tailoring jobs that she did from our house. There wasn’t much stability with her sole income. But she did manage to put my two older siblings through school. I, however, ended up dropping out after Senior 4.
Growing up, one of my most vivid memories is watching my mother at her sewing machine. That’s where she was the happiest. Now at 30, this is where I too feel my happiest.
Thankfully, the village stepped in when my mother could not handle things alone. In fact, my brother and sister, who is now a nurse, were both cared for by my mother’s brother, our uncle, who helped pay for their education.
I got married when I was quite young, but I was in love with him and did it anyway. We separated but I do want to make things better between us. We have two children together.
When my village grew bigger
I had joined the AIM club when I decided to separate. I was completely shattered. My mentor and friends at the club became my pillars of strength. They even raised 70,000 UG shillings ($20) to help me through the process of moving out with my children back to my mother’s.
The village I was born in got bigger. During this turbulent time, the club became my place of rest and solace. The conversations I had with my peers and the songs we sang together helped me free myself of my worries. Emotional regulation was one of the most helpful tools I learned that helped me cope with my feelings. I felt heard among the women my age, and most importantly, found a thriving support system that I, still today, reach out for.
I am an entrepreneur and an environmentalist. My shop is a short walk down the road from our house. I opened this shop three months ago, right after graduating in the first cohort of the AIM club. Everything you see here – the dresses, bags, toys, and homeware – my mom and I make them ourselves. And most of them are from recycled materials!
I reuse discarded scraps of cloth, bottle caps, wires and plastic bags to make my products. My products started getting a lot of attention within the first few months of opening. I now make a profit of 300,000 UG shillings ($80) each month. My mother has since joined the business and moved in with her own sewing machine. We chat and laugh as we design jewelry from seeds and sew bags from old, brightly colored gomesi (dresses women in Uganda wear).
I received a capital of 750,000 UG shillings ($200) after a training on small business management, and bought a sewing machine and everything else to set up this shop.
At the club, I learned about running a business, using the internet for marketing, and building savings. Unlike many of my friends, I had access to a smartphone. The lessons on using social media platforms like Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook to grow my business put me on an exciting path. I also discovered hundreds of tutorials on Youtube on making handicrafts. I started marketing my products online. There are so many things you can make from the stuff we throw out or are just lying around us. The list is endless, just come inside my shop and you will see!
My two boys love coming into the shop. The younger one is just a year old and stays with my grandmother at home. My older son stops on the way back from school and has his lunch here. He loves to have beans and maize, which I make for him.
You know what has been another big change since I set up my business? My kids now have a television at home and they recently watched videos of a zoo and they were absolutely fascinated. They have been pestering me to take them on a vacation, specifically to a zoo, and for the first time in our lives – a vacation seems to be something we can consider.
The community I got to know at the club is still a part of my life. We meet every week for our loans and savings group which we continued to run long after graduating. We put in our savings every week and anyone can draw an amount when they need. I’m the secretary of this group, managing all the transactions on a ledger. It is the same group that raised funds and held me together last year. We want to keep doing it for everyone in the group.
I want a professional degree to become a nurse – something that I have always dreamt of. I plan to join the community nursing school very soon. My mother will continue to run my business.
When my son enrolled in school, I couldn’t afford to make them uniforms. The month I made my first profit, I immediately bought fabric and made two very smart uniforms for him. My work did not go unnoticed. I secured a contract with the school to make uniforms for all their students. I tailored 50 uniforms on my first order.
I was lucky to be born into a village of women who raised me and believed in me, and now takes care of my children. My sister-in-law lives with us with her own baby son. My sister is a nurse and lives in the city while her child lives with us. It is a house of four generations and very strong women.
I’m lucky to have found another village of strong girls and women at the AIM club.
At 30, I feel so strong, and I am excited for my life. I want to grow my business, get my children into university, and go back to studying. I know that I can take on any opportunities that come my way.
Footnote: Sarah Ntale is a participant of the Mastercard Foundation Accelerating Impact for Young Women in Partnership with BRAC (AIM) program in Uganda. She is from Iganga, a district in the eastern region of Uganda. We met Sarah back in March this year and since then, a lot more has changed in her life. She has gone back to school to pursue a degree in nursing. In her absence, Sarah’s mother now handles the business, providing her weekly updates. In the meantime, Sarah and her husband have also reconciled.
