For Jane Aketo (35), providing for her family was once a daily struggle. After losing her husband, the South Sudanese refugee had no reliable source of income and often depended on others for food. Today, a small charcoal oven is helping her build a different future for her family.
“Sometimes it was the neighbours who provided us with food,” Jane recalls. With eight people in the household and no steady income, even basic needs such as food, school fees and medical care were difficult to cover.
That began to change when Jane joined Yenyo Kwo Ber, a savings group supported by ZOA and local partner THRIVE Gulu. By saving together with other members, she was able to access a loan and invest in something of her own.
With a loan of 150,000 Ugandan shillings, Jane bought a charcoal oven and a bicycle. She started making chapati, bread and cookies to sell, while the bicycle made it easier to transport her products.
The business soon became a steady source of income. “I make 70,000 shillings a week and save 15,000,” she says. Part of what she earns goes back into the business; the rest helps her meet the needs of her family.
Jane can now pay school fees, buy food and cover medical expenses herself. The uncertainty that once shaped daily life has become less pressing. Her oven has come to represent that change. “When I look at the oven, I feel happy,” she says. “This is the only source of income I have, and it is helping me a lot.”
The Yenyo Kwo Ber group is supported through a programme implemented by ZOA together with local partner THRIVE Gulu. Members receive business training, save money together and can take out loans to invest in their livelihoods.
For Jane, a relatively small loan opened the door to a business of her own. Instead of depending on neighbours to provide food for her family, she now has a way to earn, save and keep building from there.
Read also: GCT in Uganda: community groups in the lead