Life wasn’t easy for Tino Mary. After the collapse of her marriage, she sought refuge at her parents’ home, only to be driven away over bitter land conflicts with her brother. Forced into a small, rented room in a nearby trading center with her daughter, Anyango Mary struggled to stay afloat. Eventually, the weight of unpaid rent led to her eviction, leaving her dependent on the kindness of a well-wisher who was starting on the construction of a new home. He gave her a small space to construct a small grass thatched house behind the space where he was going to construct his house, on condition that she cooks for his workers. This is where she leaves to date.
In 2024, life started changing when Mary’s daughter, Anyango Cana, was enrolled in the Girl + program. This is how Mary was identified for an Income Generating Project (IGP), under the Girl+ economic empowerment programme, meant to improve household income. Mary was identified as a beneficiary, and she seized the opportunity to change her fate. With two goats valued at UGX 300,000 from Africa Water Solutions, she finally had a foundation to build on.
Within four months, her doe gave birth, sparking a chain reaction of growth. She sold one of the goats for 250,000 shillings, more than double its initial value, and used the profit to diversify. She invested in rice growing, opened a small retail shop, and began paying down her loan.
Success followed her hard work. When the doe birthed a second kid, Mary sold the first kid for UGX 150,000. This money went straight back into her land, covering the costs of weeding her flourishing rice garden and paying off more UGX 100,000 to cover her loan balance.
Mary’s life has changed. She has a testimony concerning how Africa Water Solutions has transformed her life. She now provides consistent meals, covers the family’s medical bills, and saves UGX 12,000 every week through her savings group.
With her rice garden nearing harvest and her business thriving, Mary has her sights set on one goal: buying her own plot of land this year. She is no longer just looking for shelter; she is planning to build a permanent home for herself and her daughter, ensuring that Anyango Cana never has to face the instability her mother once did.