Meet Gladys Muduwa: How a Charcoal Business Turned One Meal a Day into School Fees and Stability
With GVC business training and 160,000 UGX (about $43 USD) in micro-capital, mother of three Gladys Muduwa launched a charcoal business, earning 10,000 UGX (about $2.70 USD) daily to feed her family and keep her children in school.
For a long time, Gladys Muduwa carried an overwhelming financial burden in Eastern Uganda. As a mother of three whose husband has another wife and provides minimal financial support, Gladys was left almost entirely on her own to feed, clothe, and educate her children.
With no steady source of income, she survived on irregular, physically demanding casual jobs. On the hardest days, her earnings were barely enough to buy food, forcing her family to rely on just one simple meal a day for survival. Providing for her children was a constant, exhausting struggle.
Everything began to change one afternoon at the local trading center, when Gladys overheard a group of women discussing Global Village Connect’s community development program—part of GVC’s mission to foster self-reliant livelihoods and empower women. Intrigued by the possibility of building an independent income, she asked for more information and enrolled in the training.
Identifying an essential community need
The training completely reshaped how Gladys viewed business. She gained critical skills in identifying local market opportunities, managing small capital, and maintaining clean financial records.
Analyzing her neighborhood, Gladys noticed that charcoal was in constant, high daily demand, as nearly every household relies on it for cooking fuel. Seeing a clear market opportunity, she decided to become a charcoal vendor—joining the ranks of GVC fuel merchants like Edith Namataka, Eseza Babirye, and Susan Namutibwa.
Micro-capital and overcoming first-day fears
To raise her starting capital, Gladys put into practice the savings principles taught in the course. She borrowed money from a local GVC-supported savings group and combined it with her small personal savings, raising 160,000 UGX (about $43 USD). With these funds, she purchased her very first wholesale sacks of charcoal.
Her first day in business tested her courage.
Feeling nervous and uncertain if customers would come, Gladys decided to take the initiative. She reached out directly to neighbors and passersby, greeting everyone warmly and packaging the charcoal into small, affordable quantities so families with tight budgets could easily purchase what they needed.
By the end of her first day, she had made steady sales, building both her customer base and her confidence as an entrepreneur.
“I was nervous on my first day, but taking the step to talk to my neighbors showed me that people needed what I had to offer. Today, my business gives me the strength to care for my children independently.”
— Gladys Muduwa (shared with GVC’s field team)
Restoring three meals a day and school attendance
Through personal outreach, excellent customer relationships, and word-of-mouth recommendations in her village, Gladys’s business quickly took off.
Today, she generates a reliable daily profit of approximately 10,000 UGX (about $2.70 USD). This consistent income has completely transformed life at home:
- Nutritional Stability: Her children no longer suffer on one meal a day; Gladys now provides three wholesome meals daily.
- Education & Supplies: She comfortably pays for her children’s school requirements, uniforms, and fees, ensuring they stay consistent in the classroom at school—a priority shared by GVC’s Keep Girls in School initiative.
- Household Security: She meets all basic household needs without depending on external assistance.
Planning for long-term growth
Gladys is determined to continue expanding her business. Using the financial discipline she learned in her training, she is saving regularly with a clear roadmap for the future: purchasing charcoal in larger wholesale quantities to lower her unit costs, adding dry firewood to diversify her inventory, and growing her savings pool.
Gladys joins a growing community of resilient women entrepreneurs across Eastern Uganda—including food kiosk owner Annet Nelima, vegetable vendor Aida Mugide, sandal retailer Grace Nambuya, fruit distributor Sam Wabuyi, and vertical farmer Simon.
If you would like to help GVC empower more mothers like Gladys, please consider visiting our donation page to support our programs.
