My Story

My Home Life: I am the fourth-born among my three siblings—two girls and one boy—who currently live with our parents in another district. I was sent to live with my maternal aunt, Kayaga Judith, and her family because my parents could no longer afford to provide for my basic needs.

At my aunt’s home, I help with daily chores such as collecting firewood, fetching water from the well, washing dishes, and keeping our house and compound clean.

My aunt is married and has four children of her own. She works hard to support us by buying and reselling fruits like jackfruit and sweet bananas, earning a profit of about 15,000 shillings (approximately $4.29) every week. She is also a peasant farmer who grows crops such as maize (corn), pinto beans, and cassava (a root tuber), both for home consumption and for sale. For example, after an entire growing season, she might harvest one 50-kilogram bag of pinto beans and sell 25 kilograms for 12,000 shillings ($3.43), keeping the rest for the family.

However, the money she earns from both farming and fruit sales is not enough to meet all the family’s needs or to pay school fees for everyone.