Margret’s home has new walls–but that’s not the only reason her home is stronger since she started the family empowerment program with Shelter Yetu. Her dedication to the microbusiness program has brought her family into an entirely new realm of empowered stability.
When the Shelter staff met Margret, she was trying hard to provide for her family. She is the proud mother of 6 children, ranging from the ages of 2 to 18. Despite her efforts, resources and opportunities were scarce. Margret explained, "My children could only take one meal a day and would be sent home from school due to unpaid fees." Her children were at risk of living on the streets.
Additionally, the family was facing a lot of pressure from the community.
Before joining the empowerment program, Margret explained that the community was "undermining me and despised me. They treated me as if I were nothing." Though these comments hurt, her biggest fear was for her daughter, Grace. Many young girls in Margret's community have dropped out of school or have given birth as young as 14. At age 16, Grace was not in school and Margret worried for her daughter’s future. Because of Margret's living situation and the children's health and wellness, the Shelter invited Margret to join the empowerment program.
Through the empowerment program, Margret received the resources and training needed to open a microbusiness. A business day for Margret starts at 5 a.m. when she wakes to collect vegetables from local farmers. She then begins supplying vegetables to her customers, primarily in her community. Since starting her business, Margret has added two goats to the mix. She has begun selling the milk along with her array of vegetables. When asked about the future of her business, she said, "I dream of buying a milking cow in the next five years so I can supply milk to the community."
Margret's life has completely changed since she started her business, and she is working hard to continue the progress. When asked to explain her business's impact on her family, Margret said, "My children can take three meals a day, and they are attending school." Margret beamed over Grace's ambition of becoming a teacher when she was older. Grace is now in secondary school and is excelling by all accounts. Margret commented, "The community has started respecting and treating my family well."
A recent development in Margret's success is her pursuit of upgrading the house. Margret said, "I have bought iron sheets to improve the house's structure." She held them proudly, explaining that she was excited to begin renovating.
Though Margret discussed her hardships and triumphs through the process, she said, "I am happy because of the Shelter's empowerment program. It has helped me out of the poverty level I was in. I am happy, and so are my children." Margaret is now a strong provider and entrepreneur, a shining example of hard work and dedication to those around her.