Grace highlighted that PEP had taught her that it’s important to stand up tall as an individual, and that you are the answer to all/most of the problems that you have.
Her child had some charcoal to sell, worth less than 50c, and she thought she couldn’t do anything with such a small amount of money, but was able to harvest and dry some cassava. She wanted to turn this into bread but needed some cooking oil (about 1500UGS), but only had 800 from what had already sold. She asked a shop owner for a loan for oil, bought sugar/bananas, and took what she baked to market. She was able to clear the debt and buy more things to make/sell.
Baking is time consuming, as need to be up early to bake, and then take it to market. She had reached 8000Sch, and decided to change business, also selling the millet she had to have a total of 16000Sch. She bought small fish to sell (which she does at 1000Sch a cup), and formed a savings group with others in the village. She never told her husband how much she had saved until she had 390,000UGS – enough to buy a cow – which has now produced 2 calves.
Last year she had a break in the business as she was pregnant, so decided to buy 2 pigs. She then sold one pig, and the other has produced piglets. She finished by saying (or the translator did) that she no longer needed to dress in rags, but could look smart all the time (and she does!).
This is the last in the “We Met” series, although I have plans for a handful more #tfbloggers posts.
