Stories from Uganda: Fatuma's Story
My name is Fatuma. I am a 32-year-old mother of 8 children, a business owner, and a founding member of the Bubugo Self-Help Group!
FABIO found me in a bad situation. I was single-handedly raising my 8 children; we had no shelter, the children were not in school, and while I had my own business selling fish, things were really hard! I spent a lot of my time walking to and from the fish market.
I was in a pit before FABIO. I was really low, and I lived in fear. I was the kind of lady who would not gather with people, would feel fear, and wasn’t confident speaking in public.
This all changed because of FABIO!
When FABIO came, they brought bikes, and it changed my business completely. I was able to cycle to the fish market and get the fish I needed more quickly.
As well as providing bikes, FABIO also equipped us with the skills to improve our lives and our businesses. They provided training on how to save and how to run self-help groups that would strengthen our businesses.
Because of the three years I’ve been with FABIO, my life has completely changed! My children are all at school; some are boarding, and my daughter got a scholarship! I also have a house now that I paid for with my savings! Seeing how successful I’ve become, my husband came back when he saw how much I had developed.
Now I am able to speak confidently in public. Around the village, people respect me; they know I have money in the community.
This money allows me to be part of the Self-Help group where we can invest and give loans. Now, because I have been able to save well, I have the means to maintain my bicycle when I need materials.
FABIO has been so important in my community. They saw our potential and helped us develop the skills we needed to thrive!
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