When I was a schoolgirl, I used to love running relays. Most of my friends knew me for that. One day, we participated in a running competition where schools from all over came to participate. I remember I ran and won. No one could believe it, not even myself. Our head teacher hugged me and lifted me up in celebration. The students shouted my name, carried me around, and cheered. I will never forget that day. I usually tell my children that I was our primary school champion, and because of that, the school gave me a bursary. Running taught me not to give up when you’re running to stay number one, others are running after you, and yet you’re also running after the finish line. That’s how life works, too.
As I grew older and started a family, I found myself needing to support my home. I opened a small stall where I sell vegetables, fruits, and foodstuffs like tomatoes, greens, sugarcane, and jackfruit. When I started, my husband’s financial support was already thinning. I saw how heavy everything had become: children in school, rent to pay, bills stacking up. I asked him for a little money, which he gave me, and I used it to begin my stall. I started small, with just a few tomatoes and onions. Whenever a customer came asking for something I didn’t have, I took note and made sure I stocked it the next time. Some stock would go bad, so I learned quickly to focus on what doesn’t spoil fast and what people use daily. That’s how I reduced losses.
But then everything changed the day my husband died. Life became harder overnight. I was overwhelmed. Everyone who had come to mourn and comfort us eventually left, and I was left alone with my children. I didn’t know how we would carry on, but I had no choice. I became both mother and father. I went back to my stall. I prayed. I still do. It’s that hope, that quiet belief that things can get better, that keeps me going.
Our firstborn daughter was in Senior Four at the time, and she had to drop out of school. We simply couldn’t afford the school fees. Every day felt like I was watching their dreams slip away. Our son was in Senior Three. He stayed hopeful even when I couldn’t. Then one day, we were introduced to a program that helped us. They invited me, and from that moment, the story started to change. It was a program put together to support women like me and young girls. It was supported by Metis and implemented by Faces Up. Even though Faces Up was paying the school fees for my children using sales of their artworks and products, meeting their other needs was still hard. The biggest difference I see now is that my children are no longer being sent home because of unpaid fees. That used to happen all the time. It crushed their spirits and made them fall behind. Even getting report cards was a problem never saw them because we owed the school. Now, they bring home their results proudly, and I no longer carry the burden of school debts. I am always looking forward to seeing how they performed.
With that weight lifted, I found room to breathe. I started picking up skills to help support the home. I enrolled on the program because I wanted to increase my income. Besides my stall business, I started learning hairdressing and basket-weaving work. Sometimes I don’t even get to the market my neighbors buy the crafts right from home. These small sales make a huge difference. I don’t feel helpless anymore. I have something in my hands. I’ve found people willing to share what they know. I’ve learned that with knowledge and skill, I can stand again.
Even with faith and prayer, losing my husband was a deep and painful blow that left a gap I never imagined I’d have to face. But seeing how far we’ve come, and how my children are determined to study and chase their dreams gives me strength every single day. They love school, and that alone tells me that the future will be better. Ten years from now, I see my children in a completely different place. I see doctors and mechanics, and other great people coming out of them. I see them as influential, kind, hardworking citizens, and I know they’ll make it because they’ve tasted struggle and they know how to rise above it. I no longer live in fear of what tomorrow will bring. I look forward to it.”
We have seen firsthand what an opportunity can do. How a skill can change the entire trajectory of a family. How a mother can do all in her capacity to invest in the dreams of their children, even if it means putting herself last. Nakimuli has exhibited all these. We are playing the little part we ca,n and believe with your support, we can even do more.
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