By Lauren Thorn | Online Marketing Specialist
Grace has worked as a farmer in Uganda for most of her life, spending long days on her farm to support her six relatives and her 4-year-old son, Aloysius. Each season, she would plant coffee crops in the hopes that she could produce a harvest bountiful enough to meet all of her family's needs, but she struggled to run a profitable operation. She was not earning enough from her sales at the market to support her family and knew she needed to optimize her farm.
Grace became an Opportunity Uganda client three years ago, eagerly joining the Kanywa Nucafe, or "Coffee" Trust Group comprised of 20 other farmers. She received valuable financial and agricultural training, investing her very first loan of $150 to buy fertilizer. Since then, the changes in her farm have been substantial and measurable. Today, she has tripled her harvest from 10 bags of coffee to 30 and has diversified her farm by also growing ground nuts and maize to smooth out her flow of income. Her income has already increased, which has been a blessing to her and her family.
According to Grace, “I have sickle cell anemia which puts me in and out of the hospital; I often had to choose between medical attention and putting food on the table.” But no longer. In fact, according to her loan officer Coleb, “Grace is the best saver in her group, she accomplishes her goals and supports her family.” Your support has helped ensure that Ugandan farmers like Grace are empowered with loans and savings accounts and training on good agricultural practices.
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