Meet Solomy: How Your Support Helped a Widow Turn Peanut Butter and Charcoal into School Tuition
Because of you, widowed mother Solomy established roasted peanut butter and charcoal micro-businesses to send her kids back to school.
Hello, I’m Solomy!
I am a graduate of the Global Village Connect Community Development Program.
After the sudden death of my husband, life became very difficult. I had been a housewife for most of my married life, and suddenly my breadwinner was gone. I was left completely alone without any savings or inheritance.
Because of this, my children were not able to attend school for eight months. I couldn’t afford food, much less tuition. We were living on just one meal a day.
To try and support my family, I started working as a road sweeper. But the payments from the municipality were always late. Even when they arrived on time, they were so meager that they couldn’t begin to sustain my family.
A spark of inspiration to change my status
In March, I started the Global Village Connect community development program. In the very first module, I felt like the trainers were speaking to me directly. They talked about “getting out of your comfort zone.”
It spoke to my heart because I realized I had become comfortable as a housewife, afraid of change. I was challenged to do something to change my status and build a future for my children.
When I received my next payment from the municipal council, I decided to take action. I bought raw peanuts, roasted them, ground them, and packed the fresh peanut butter in small tins.
I then approached nearby shops, asking if they would sell it for me on consignment. They agreed! Since then, I have been supplying the local stores weekly. Customers absolutely love my peanut butter because it is wonderful as a bread spread. This roasted peanut butter business now brings in a steady profit of $1.40 a day.
Diversifying with a second micro business
But I didn’t stop there. Using the record keeping and business planning skills I learned, I decided to diversify my income.
I approached a friend who runs a local charcoal business and asked if she would allow me to sell a few sacks of my own charcoal in her stall. She agreed! Every month, I put out four sacks of my own charcoal. Each sack gives me a reliable profit of $4.10.
Together, these businesses bring in over $50 a month in profits, a substantial sum in our community.
Children back in school and hope restored
Because of my new income, my children were able to attend school this term! I can now easily afford their tuition, uniforms, and all the required school supplies. I am so happy and deeply relieved.
Had I not attended GVC’s community development training, I might have still been languishing in the jaws of poverty. I am truly grateful to Global Village Connect for being my light when all hope was lost.
“Because of my new income, my children were able to attend school this term. I can now afford tuition and the required supplies. I am so happy and relieved.”
— Solomy
For context, the median household income for rural Ugandans is about $54 a month. That is why a micro business profit of $1.40 a day, combined with small scale trading, goes so far and can completely rewrite a family’s trajectory.
