I am now a landlord and never hope to lack food again at my home

Agie (49 years) not real name is born, married and a resident of Kanoni- Kaliiro Sub County, Lyantonde district with 10 (4M, 6F) biological children. Agie (Not real names) says “I got to know about Salama SHIELD Foundation (SSF) micro-credit through a group member in 2016, by then our situation was not convincing, we had a very small plot of land which could not be used for agriculture, our children were in school and needed school fees and other scholastic materials, the toilet we had was made up of wood and banana fibers whereby anytime it could accidentally fall in or hit our children. So, we needed to get money such that I can start my own income generating activity in order to educate our children.

In 2016, I joined the SSF Micro-credit, received financial literacy training and acquired my first loan of UGX. 300,000/= which I used to start selling bananas (Embidde) for making local wine as well as making local brew in the unsold bananas, I was able to earn some profit which I used to make bricks and construct the pit latrine. The other cycles, I started a goat and piggery project to supplement my local wine making and selling of bananas (Embidde) business. The business yielded some good profit and in 2017 I was able to buy my 1^st plot of land at UGX. 600,000/=.  After acquiring my 1^st plot of land, I could not look-back, I continued getting more loans and we were lucky, each year we could get loans twice a year.

For the past eight (8) years I have been with the SSF-U micro-credit, I do not regret, I have been able to put up a good pit latrine where the neighbors and the children who used to play with my children no longer talk about me as someone who never had one, I got an income of over UGX. 6,000,000/= which I used to buy plots of land that make a total of 2.5acres. We have been able to educate our children where four have completed senior four and joined catering, restaurant and the other continuing to senior six. I have been able to set up a shelter for my goat project consisting of 19 goats. Together with my two sons, I am able to produce 12000 bricks twice a year from one of my plots of land which I sell at UGX. 100/=. I am also able to sell at least 2 20litre jerricans of wine per month and make an income of at least UGX. 80,000/= depending on the quality.

Currently, I am assured of enough food since I have two banana plantations siting on 1.5 acres of land. I have learnt one thing that you can easily run out of poverty if you have good relationship with your husband. The reason for me being where I am today is the opportunity SSF gave to me and the supportive husband. Therefore, I thank SSF for reaching out to us vulnerable women who had lost hope and had no access to credit. I encourage my fellow women to involve their husbands all the time, ensure they seduce them to allow them to work and not to sit at home and never to despise any job.”