I Was on the Verge of Giving up on Life

In her own words, interviewed by Bukenya Muusa, WGEF Program Director

Moreen aged 39, is a widow with three children and seven other dependents; all are refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo. Moreen, with other five members, formed a business group. She says WGEF came at a time she needed a hand to hold her from collapsing. “I had a timber business in Democratic Republic of Congo, when I lost all I had to the soldiers. I was on the verge of giving up on life as I had completely nothing.

A friend invited her to a WGEF training; a number of facilitators spoke and gave them hope, encouraging them to look at things from a positive angle. The facilitators told the story of a Bumble Bee that manages to fly even when many people thought it had no ability to fly. This motivated Moreen. During the training she learned about Enterprise Selection and Projected Income Statement that enabled her identify the business opportunity of growing and selling coffee.

After the training, she requests for an agro loan of $320 from WGEF and used it to buy coffee for selling; and used the balance to hire and prepare land for growing beans and maize and $217 for paying school fees. After harvesting, she raised $800 from two tons of beans and one ton of maize and also continued buying and selling coffee.

She has since diversified into a big supplier of produce linking the buyers from Gulu in Uganda with those in neighboring DRC who need all most food. Since 2016, she has been consistently working in this field and her daily sales approximate $81 per day. Her businesses are now is worth over $1500 (usd).

Moreen currently employs 4 workers. She has a daughter at Kyambogo University where she pays tuition of $400 per semester and another child in A-level. She is now very influential in her group and community as a whole.

“I encourage fellow women to stop over-depending on their husbands, they should start their own businesses with whichever money they have to have sustainable income in case their husbands are no longer there”.

Moreen thanks WGEF for putting a smile on her face once again.