Nabirye Zakia's story

Nabirye Zakia

“I feel very passionate about my business because it gives me a guaranteed source of weekly savings and helps me keep my children in school.”

Nabirye Zakia is a 24-year-old mother of one from Namavundu Village in Bageya Parish, Buyende Town Council. She joined Kyebajjatobona Youth Farmers Group after attending a parish sensitisation meeting on A Working Future project by Volunteer Efforts for Development Concerns. After joining the youth group, Zakia received training on VSLA methodologies from the parish Community Based Trainer. This helped her expand her savings through loans extended across group members. During the first cycle group sharing in December 2021, she received UGX 92,000. The money enabled her to construct a temporary stall and trade in horticultural vegetables including cabbages, tomatoes, onions and silver fish. Through the business, Zakia earns an average of UGX 15,000 per day compared to the previous UGX 1,200 she earned after selling seasonal crops such as maize and cassava. She is passionate about the business because it provides a more reliable source of weekly savings, supports her children in school, and increases her ability to meet household expenditure such as cooking oil, food, clothing and shelter improvements. The rewards from the business have also reduced her dependence on her husband for household expenses.