Beatrice
Beatrice is the leader of the group, the women come to her with problems or concerns. The advantage is that we can have a conversation with Beatrice without an interpreter, as her English is excellent. She is a single mother of seven and has a whopping twenty grandchildren. At the moment, she personally takes care of twenty-two children. Taking care of these children is a full-time job, and besides that, she also makes and sells local snacks such as chapatis and samosas. With the money she earns from this, combined with her income from Ekibbo, she ensures that all mouths are fed, all bills are paid, school fees are paid on time, and that she can pay off her debts.
Her ultimate dream is to collectively save money with the other women so that they can help anyone in need to get back on their feet. She would love to live together with all the women in one big community.
Felista
Felista has four adult children and four grandchildren. She supports them all as the main breadwinner. Before joining Ekibbo, she was a bean peeler and collected second-hand clothes that she sold in the slums. Both incomes are low and irregular, for example, a bean peeler earns only a meager 1000 Shilling per day (€0.3). Thanks to Ekibbo, she can now pay all her bills without going into debt, and she can pay for the school fees of all her grandchildren. Unfortunately, one of her grandchildren, who was sponsored by Help Africa, had their sponsorship discontinued during the pandemic.
Felista has been struggling with her health for years, but she can manage her illness with medication. Before Ekibbo, she couldn't afford this medication and regularly suffered strokes. Thanks to Ekibbo's income, she can now take her medication every day for quite some time and can live a normal life again.
Her life motto is "Age is just a number."
Fatuma
Fatuma is a single mother of four, to put food on the table she is a seamstress. Thanks to her hard work, she was able to buy a small piece of land in the slums before joining Ekibbo. The money she receives from Ekibbo is used to build and furnish her little house. She remains a seamstress, but the income from Ekibbo allows her to build up a savings. This income is intended for unforeseen expenses, so that the family does not have to sacrifice basic needs when such a cost arises.
Hanisha
Hanisha is a single mother of four. Before joining Ekibbo, she used to peel beans to support her family. This is a very low and irregular income. One cup of peeled beans earned her 100 Shilling (€0.03), and on average, she would fill ten cups in a day.
By joining the Ekibbo group, her life has become much easier because now she can pay her rent and bills without getting into debt. She now has enough money to buy food for her family and thanks to Ekibbo, she can send her two oldest children to school. Her goal is to provide this privilege to all her children.
Prossy
Prossy is a single mother of six, all boys, including a set of twins. Before the pandemic, she worked as a cook and sold food to people in the slum. To earn some extra cash, she would sell various items on the street. She would stand at busy intersections and approach drivers to buy her goods. During the coronavirus pandemic, both sources of income disappeared. Cooking food for others became forbidden, and approaching people on the street was completely out of the question. Thanks to Ekibbo, she didn't completely lose her income, which gave her hope during those dark times. With the money from Ekibbo, she is now able to pay for her children's school bills.
Rose
Rose is a single mother of five, three girls and two boys. Before Ekibbo, her only source of income was peeling beans, which was an irregular and low income. After a whole day of peeling, she earned 1000 Shillings (€0.3). This income was far from enough to meet the basic needs of her and her family. Thanks to the income from Ekibbo, she no longer has this problem. Now she can pay her bills almost worry-free and she can send her second oldest child to school (the oldest is sponsored by Help Africa).
In the future, she would like to run her own hair salon, but she will also provide a nice space for selling her Ekibbo products there.
Jane
Jane is a single mom of four. In the past, her only source of income was collecting scrap (metal), which she sold to a trader by the kilogram. In order to buy food, she had to collect and sell at least five kilograms, and the work not only brought in little money, but was also very hard. Before she met Ekibbo, she made beads for another organization, and this was the first time she was able to save. With this first savings, she bought land in the slum. Now, she can continue to save with Ekibbo thanks to her income. She uses a large part of this money to buy construction materials for her house, and she always buys them from local traders because she believes it's important to support them as well.
kate
Kate is a single mother of three. Before the coronavirus pandemic, she sold food and candy on the streets, doing so at busy intersections. This source of income is illegal; if you are caught, you have to surrender your goods and the day's profits to the police. During the pandemic, this income completely disappeared, and since then, working for Ekibbo has been her only source of income. Thanks to Ekibbo, she is now able to send her children to school. In the future, she would like to buy her own house/plot of land because she is tired of paying unrealistically high rent.
Eseza
Eseza has two children of her own (boys) and she also takes care of six orphaned children (girls). In order to support this family, she crochets clothes and accessories to sell. Currently, with the money she receives from selling her Ekibbo products, she is able to send two children to school. Additionally, she can now comfortably pay rent, provide her family with three meals a day, and buy clothes.
Her plan for the future is to buy a piece of land outside the slum and build a house. This house would not only be for her family, but she would also like to provide shelter for teenage girls who are (unwantedly) pregnant. In this way, she can support these young girls and make their future less uncertain.
Margret
Magret is a single mother of four. Before the coronavirus pandemic, she sold food on the street, which was already illegal at that time, but during the pandemic, this was strictly enforced. Instead of giving up and being left without income, she adjusted her approach and continued selling food, but from her small house. This income, combined with the income from Ekibbo, provides more security. Her dream is to leave the slum and start a new life in a village outside Kampala.
annet
Annet is a single mother of two, in order to support her family she used to sell beans at busy intersections. Selling food on the street is prohibited, if caught by the police, not only would you have to surrender your merchandise, but also your income for that day. The risk of being caught makes the irregular income of a street vendor even more uncertain. That is also the reason why Annet stopped this job, she switched to peeling the beans and now sells them to women who are still willing to take the risk of getting caught. Thanks to Ekibbo, she is still able to support her family, because in addition to the low wages of a bean peeler, she now has an income from Ekibbo. The combination of both incomes allows her to pay the rent and a portion of the school fees without any problems.
enid
Enid is a single mother of two. In order to support her family, she collects banana peels to sell to local farmers as animal feed. Each bag weighs approximately 50kg and is sold for 3000 Shillings. She needs at least 6000 Shillings per day (€1.5) to provide food for her family and pay the rent. Her dream is to earn enough money with Ekibbo so that she can start her own sewing business. She already has the qualifications as a seamstress, but unfortunately, she doesn't have a sewing machine yet. As a seamstress, she would be able to earn money doing something she is good at and enjoys. That is why we are very happy that our nonprofit organization has been able to donate* two sewing machines to the group. Now Enid can use these machines to make her dream come true.
*Special thanks to Celina Bellemans and DoraDora Collections for their donation.
beatrice ke
Beatrice is a single mother of four, she collects banana peels to sell to local farmers. The farmers use the banana peels as animal feed. In order to support her family, she has to sell an average of two bags weighing 50kg each, which would earn her €1.5. This job is not only poorly paid but also very difficult and dirty work.
The income she recently generates through Ekibbo can be used to pay the rent. The rent in the slum is practically unaffordable for many families, and a lot of people go into debt to be able to pay it anyway. Beatrice wants to save a portion of both her incomes each time and use her savings to buy a small house, as she is tired of paying exorbitant rent.
betty
Betty is a single mother of two. To support her family, she runs a food stall where she sells local snacks such as samosas and chapatis. Her stall is located next to her house in a very central location in the slum, which is ideal for sales. With this income, she is able to pay for rent and food for her family. With the income from Ekibbo, she buys basic necessities that she wouldn’t normally be able to afford. In the future, she would like to give her children a chance at a better future by sending them to school.
Salima
Salima is a single mom of four, to make ends meet she works as a cook for a restaurant in the slum area. Through the government, she was given the opportunity to pursue training as a hairdresser, unfortunately, she doesn't have enough money to start her own business in this field up until now. With her income from Ekibbo, she would like to achieve two dreams, to send her children to school and to have her own hair salon.
deborah
Deborah has seven children and three grandchildren, all of her grandchildren and five of her children go to school. As a widow, she is financially on her own, yet she manages to make it work. At the moment, she has four sources of income. Her main income comes from her job as a seamstress, she has her own sewing machine with which she makes and repairs clothing. A second source of income comes from making and selling paper beads, which are made from thin strips of paper rolled into a ball. Income number three comes from washing clothes for people who can no longer do it themselves. Recently, a fourth source of income has been added, namely Ekibbo. Thanks to this busy bee, the family has no debts, no hunger, and a chance for a better future.
edinansi
Edinansi is a single mom of three. Until recently, her only source of income was peeling beans, which is a very irregular and low-income job. After a whole day of peeling, she earns 1000 shillings (€0.3). This income is far from enough to cover the basic needs of her and her family. Though Edinansi may be a new member of the group, it is certainly not evident in the products she delivers. Since she started (2022), she has already sold about fifty products to us. Considering that each product is equivalent to a monthly salary (30,000 shillings), this makes a world of difference for her and her family. With this money, she wants to give her children the opportunity for education and thus a chance for a better future.
fatuma n
Fatuma is a single mother of six. Recently, she started her own stall where she sells sweet potatoes and Matoke, but unfortunately, business is not going as well as she had hoped. The purchase price of the products keeps increasing, reducing her profit margin. In order to maintain her stall, she now also shells beans, which works well because she can shell the beans at her stall. Even with these two combined sources of income, she doesn't have enough money to support her family and pay the rent, so she also sells vegetables and fruits on the street on behalf of others. In the future, Fatuma hopes to earn enough money with Ekibbo to expand the variety of products in her stall and lead a carefree life with a combination of income from her stall and Ekibbo. She wants to be able to support her family and send her children to school, just like the women of 2019 can do now.
gladice
Gladice is a single mother of four, her husband was placed in quarantine (outside the slum) during the coronavirus pandemic and never returned to his family. Until recently, her only source of income was selling tomatoes on the street, which is a very irregular and low income. The first money she earned from Ekibbo came at the right time, as her eldest daughter was sick and she couldn't continue her job. The Ekibbo money prevented her from being without money, and she was able to buy medication to help her daughter recover quickly. She now sees a better future for herself and her family. When she has enough money, she will ensure that all her children can go to school.
viccy
Viccy has five children and three grandchildren, of which she supports one child and all three grandchildren. Her only source of income is the sale of second-hand clothing in the slum. This is a low and irregular income, as she earns 10,000 shillings (€2.5) one day and nothing at all the next. Viccy suffers from a disease that causes her blood pressure to always be very high, resulting in stiff fingers among other symptoms. This complicates and slows down the process of making a basket, but she managed to make and sell them. With the money she earned from the baskets, she bought medication that stabilizes her blood pressure. The medication not only improved her health but also her technique, allowing her to quickly sell more baskets.
malika
Malika is a single mother of four. Before the corona pandemic, she worked as a waitress in a restaurant. Unfortunately, the business went bankrupt during the pandemic, leaving Malika without a job. Since then, she has been working as a street sweeper for a large company. The promised salary is 150,000 shillings (€40), but she has never received it. Her wages are always late and paid in small installments, which makes it difficult for her to pay her rent on time and keeps her in constant debt.
With the money from Ekibbo, she would like to send her children to school and pay her bills without accumulating debts.
rose k
Rose is a single mom of four, and to support her family, she has multiple jobs. In the early hours of the morning, she works as a street sweeper, under the government's commission. During the day, she returns to the slums to peel beans. After she prepares dinner for her family, she starts her last job of the day. In the evening, she earns some extra money by doing various sewing work. Even with the combined income from these three jobs, she still doesn't have enough money to support her family without worries.
She heard from women who were already associated with Ekibbo that they no longer or experience less of these problems. The women shared their experiences and achievements. After her curiosity was sparked by these women, she joined the workshop and even sold some products to us. She hopes to achieve similar things in the future as the women in 2019.
magret n
Magret is a single mother of three. She collects banana peels to sell to local farmers. The farmers use the banana peels as animal feed. In order to support her family, she has to sell an average of two bags of 50kg each, earning €1.5 in the process. In addition to this job, she also makes mats in the traditional way using dried palm leaves. The weaving knowledge she has acquired can be applied to Ekibbo's products, giving her a valuable advantage. The money she has earned so far with Ekibbo has been used to purchase school supplies. She hopes to soon be able to send all her children to school.
hafsa
Hafsa is a single mother of five, currently peeling beans to support her family. The income of a bean peeler is far from sufficient to provide for a carefree family of six with everything they need. The average salary of a bean peeler is 1000 shillings per day (€0.3). Therefore, she started looking for an additional source of income and ended up joining one of the Ekibbo women. They taught her the basket weaving technique, and Hafsa started working on it. She hopes to have more financial security with her income from Ekibbo.
rosemary
Rosemary is a single mother of four, her husband is sick and no longer lives with them. She is solely responsible for their finances and also pays for her husband's medical expenses, which has led to a mounting debt. Rosemary used to frequently borrow money from Felista. One time, Felista not only gave her the necessary money but also a needle, scissors, and a plastic bag. Felista told her that she could earn her own money by making baskets. Since then, Rosemary has been making and selling her own baskets. To avoid being completely dependent on a single income, she also washes clothes for people who are no longer able to do so.
mary
Mary is a single mom of six. Adjacent to her small house in the slum, she has a stall where she sells charcoal, tomatoes, and sugarcane. The money she has been earning from Ekibbo recently, she wants to use for the basic necessities of her family, so that she doesn't have to worry about them anymore.
toepista
Toepista has one daughter and four grandchildren, the daughter has left and left her children with their grandmother. Toepista is now solely responsible for taking care and providing for her four grandchildren. She collects banana peels to sell to local farmers as livestock feed. One bag weighs an average of 50kg and fetches 3000 Shillings (€0.75). She needs to sell at least two bags per day to support her family. She currently uses the money from Ekibbo mainly to pay rent so that she no longer has to worry about that. She hopes to earn enough money in the future to be able to buy a house, where her grandchildren can continue to live when she is no longer around.
resty
Resty is a mother of four. Until now, she has always been a stay-at-home mom while her husband was the breadwinner. She would like to earn money for herself and found Ekibbo to be the ideal way to do so. She can work from home, and during the workshops, like many other women, she brings along her youngest children. The children play together while the moms work. She wants to use her earnings to send the children to school so that her husband's money can continue to cover the basic needs.
robina
Robina has two biological children, two other children have already passed away, and she also takes care of her deceased brother's two children and two children of a friend who has moved. In total, she takes care of six children, and she does it all alone. Adjacent to her small house in the slum, she has a stall where she sells tomatoes and onions. Thanks to the money from Ekibbo, she has been able to expand her product range significantly, which also has an impact on the profit she is now making. In the future, she would like to move to a nearby village. There, she would be able to further expand her stall and grow her own vegetables and fruits.
aisha
Aisha is a single mother of five, her income is very low and irregular. In the slum area, she goes from door to door asking if anyone has any tasks she can do in exchange for payment. This low and irregular income caused her to accumulate a lot of debt over the years. Thanks to Ekibbo, she has been able to pay off all of these debts. She now uses the money from Ekibbo for rent so that she can use the rest of her money for her family's basic needs.
jane n
Jane has four children and seven grandchildren, currently she is the main breadwinner for two of her children and all of her grandchildren. In order to provide for her family, she combines multiple jobs. She cleans the church daily and receives a small compensation for it. She also peels bananas for a local restaurant, which are used to make Matoke. In her free time, she makes necklaces from paper beads, which she sells to vendors at the market. Recently, she has also started working with Ekibbo. She hopes to earn enough money in the future so that she can give all her grandchildren a better future by sending them to school.
justine
Justine is a single mother of five, and her main source of income comes from selling tea. She sells this tea both within and outside the slum area. With the money from Ekibbo, she has invested in her tea shop, allowing her to expand her assortment. This increase in assortment has already had a significant impact on her profit margin. She hopes that her tea shop can continue to grow, and with her profits and support from Ekibbo, she would like to send her children to school.
juliet
Juliet is a single mother of five. Adjacent to her cottage in the slum, she has a stall where she sells tomatoes and onions. The money she earned from Ekibbo, she initially invested in her stall, which allowed her to expand her supply. Currently, she uses the money from Ekibbo for rent and the money from her stall for her family's basic needs. She hopes to further grow both incomes so that she can save enough money to send her children to school.
