Grace’s Transformation
Grace started her career as a young child. She helped her single mother sell food on market days in Mityana District, where she grew up. The earnings helped pay school fees for two siblings and herself. Sadly, the food sales were just not enough to take Grace to secondary school. She went to live at her older brother’s house in Kampala City. She was forced to do house work and absolutely despised it, so she served food and tea for mere pennies until she got married.
While nursing her first-born child, Grace’s husband fell ill. Without his income, Grace’s life continued to get difficult. “At times, my body shook from hunger, but I was afraid to ask the neighbors for food,” she said. When her husband was well enough to work, he gave Grace $24 for seed capital. She launched a small business hawking clothes. “I was not afraid of the hot sun,” she said, “I walked for hours with my bundle of clothes”. Unfortunately, she earned less than a dollar a day. One hot afternoon, Grace returned from work and as she lay in her one-room house, tired, hungry and dreading the tedious days ahead, BeadforLife paid her a visit.
Grace was invited to join business training and she envisioned a bright future for herself and family. She began saving her earnings to invest in the future of her business. Before graduation, she cautiously opened a laundry business. Gradually, customers entrusted her with washing and ironing their clothes. Rapidly, her clientele grew and the volume of work did as well. Grace employed a woman for extra work, but the two couldn’t handle the large number of clothes that came in daily. She withdrew her savings and bought a laundry machine and dryer! Instantly, Grace was the talk of Mutungo Town, where she lives and runs her business. Everyone wanted to have his or her clothes washed with an electric machine.
“Everything from food, hospital bills, clothing and education for my four children comes from this business,” said Grace, “that’s why I love it so much.”
