Meet Florence: How Your Generosity Turned a $9 Investment into Hope for Her Seven Children

Meet Nakayibo Florence, a graduate of the Global Village Connect Community Development Program in Putti.

Florence fled an abusive husband, and she and her seven children now live with her aged mother. To make money, she initially began to work as a common gardener, digging in other people’s fields for seasonal, unpredictable wages.

“My mother is old, and depends on me for support,” Florence explains.

Feeding and clothing seven children, plus caring for an elderly parent, on the wages of a common laborer made life an everyday struggle.

A business born from 35,000 Shillings

After attending Global Village Connect’s Community Development Program, Florence learned that a lack of capital doesn’t have to keep you from starting. She learned that even with a very small amount of money, you can launch a viable business.

Inspired by this, she saved up 35,000 Ugandan shillings, equivalent to about $9 USD, and used that modest sum as her starting capital.

With that money, she purchased wheat flour, cooking oil, two plastic buckets, and some green plantains, or matoke. She began making fresh donuts and preparing matoke to sell in her local community.

Florence’s business has been slow but steady, but even at this scale, it has been completely life changing. She can now afford to cover her children’s and mother’s basic needs. She can afford to buy books and cover the school fees necessary to keep her children in class. Another immense relief, she explains, is that she now has the money to take her children to a doctor immediately if they fall sick.

Determination in the face of challenges

Operating a micro business with seven children and an elderly mother to support requires intense dedication.

“Because I have many dependents and my business is small, it is difficult for it to grow,” Florence explains. “But I still operate it with the little that I have. I use that little to buy the food at home and the basic needs, and I will not give up on this business.”

Using the diversification and planning strategies from her training, Florence is currently expanding her business to include turkey farming. She saved a portion of her donut and matoke profits and was recently able to purchase two baby turkeys.

She knows that adding another line of income helps to diversify her revenue streams and build financial stability. Florence also sees the potential of having a living “emergency fund” in the form of livestock.

“We hope that these turkeys will reproduce and we shall get more,” she says. “When I get more money we can then add on more turkeys. Then we can have many turkeys here, and they can serve me in times of need by selling one to get money.”

Gratitude for Putti’s Business School

Florence is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn about community development, which has enabled her to feed, clothe, and protect her family.

“I want to thank the organization so much that brought the community development school to Putti because through them I got knowledge on how to operate a business and that is how my business is able to survive. Thank you so much to Global Village Connect and may God bless you all.”

“Because I have many dependents and my business is small, it is difficult for it to grow, but I still operate it with the little that I have. I use that little to buy the food at home and the basic needs, and I will not give up on this business.”

— Nakayibo Florence