The Path To Empowerment – Eva’s 100 Women Club Story
Eva Nantanda is the epitome of a resilient woman. The 47-year-old, single-mother of 5 children who once lived in severe poverty now has a thriving homestead with 10 cows, 8 goats, 8 pigs, a banana plantation, maize (corn) fields, coffee production, as well as small rental apartments currently under construction.
How was such a transformation possible?
Support from Children of Uganda’s 100 Women Club and Eva’s growth mindset – a belief that through hard work, dedication and input from others, one’s talents and abilities can be developed.
This is her story:
In 2016, Eva returned to her ancestral home in Kiooba Masaka along with her children – essentially separating from her husband. He had long suffered from various ailments and physically could not provide for the family nor pay their rent, so Eva needed a refuge.
On her ancestral land, she immediately set out to grow crops – but they largely failed. With no source of income and very little to eat, Eva and her 5 children were starving. By the end of that year, Children of Uganda was alerted to the family’s dire situation and we stepped in.
Eva’s youngest son Moses was initially considered for our child sponsorship program. From the moment our team met this family – we knew they were not only in great need of our help – but also, incredibly deserving of it. So much so, that not only was Moses chosen to attend our partner Kamuli Primary School, we also invited Eva to be one of our very first 100 Women Club beneficiaries.
Eva was eager to learn and put in the hard work to better the life of her family. She received training in managing her own Income Generating Activity (IGA), how to join and actively participate in a Village Savings & Loan Association (VSLA), as well as capacity building. She then received an investment of 500,000 Ugandan shillings ($139) to expand her crop production to cassava, sweet potatoes and Uganda’s staple crop – maize (corn).
The following year, Eva diverted her harvest savings to domestic animal rearing and livestock. Today, she has 6 adult cows and 4 calves, 8 piglets (she amassed 24 pigs at one point, but sells them to villagers so she can start over with new piglets) and 8 goats. She earns profits from selling her pigs, as well as milk sales from the cows and goats which she uses to expand her farm.
In 2019, Eva saved 1,500,000 UGX ($416) and bought cows worth 1,075,000 UGX ($298) from which she gets 8 liters of milk a day and uses their manure to fertilize her plantations. Weekly, she makes approximately 50,000 UGX ($13) from selling matooke (bananas) which the family also relies on for food at home.
Eva’s small-scale farming venture has expanded to a large banana plantation, maize (on 6 plots that are 100 by 100) and coffee growing. In addition to this, she is strategically working to add brick making to her IGA because she already has the land with the necessary mud on it and has saved enough money to hire brick makers.
Adding to her success is Eva’s membership in the Tusuubira VSLA group. Prior to Children of Uganda intervening, she had no accountability system in place. As a VSLA member, Eva has been able to take control of her personal finances, access loans to expand her business and adopt a savings culture alongside other like-minded, entrepreneurial women.
Thanks to all of our 100 Women Club members, Eva has become a genuine leader in her community. In fact, at Children of Uganda’s end-of-year award ceremony, Eva was chosen by a group of her peers to receive the honor of “Most Successful Guardian”. We are so proud of her accomplishments and how she has improved the welfare of her family.
How Life Has Changed:
- With a steady income, Eva is now able to send all of her other school-aged children to better schools and in their boarding section. Currently, her oldest daughter Kevin is studying Nursery teaching and her son Elvis is in Primary 7 is at Kigombya Junior School where she pays 500,000 UGX ($130) per term
- Eva is able to save 24,000 UGX ($7) per day thus financially securing her family’s future in unpredictable times.
- She currently has 3 apartment rentals under construction, which we predict will earn her a monthly income when they are done.
- Eva can afford to visit Moses who is in the boarding section at Kamuli Primary School on a termly basis. On family visitation days, she now brings food, snacks and school requirements like books and pencils. Many guardians are simply unable to afford the transport fare to and from school – but not Eva.
- Her relationship with Moses and his siblings has also changed for the better, since attending Children of Uganda’s parenting skills training for all guardians. She shows more patience with the children and they all feel comfortable to confide in her now.
- Her entire family now has access to healthcare and she can take family members to the hospital in case of emergency, which would have been impossible before.
- Her children are learning animal rearing and the business side of it, thus earning skills which will give them an advantage as adults in becoming financially independent.
Despite this remarkable success, Eva still has challenges. Her crop yields depend largely on weather patterns beyond her control and her animals are at times inflicted by diseases, which can require expensive veterinary care. In addition to her 5 biological children, Eva also has 3 other dependents at home and being the sole provider for the entire household strains her finances. And yet, she remains determined and hopeful knowing how far her business and the family’s welfare have come since Children of Uganda came into their lives.
Unbelievably, Eva has achieved her success without a proper, formal education and all while being illiterate. The knowledge and skills she acquired through her IGA training, a small financial investment from The 100 Women Club and Eva’s firm belief in her own true potential made all the difference in the world.
Her future ambitions are to build paddocks for her animals and to construct a home for her and her children since they currently live at the family’s ancestral home. We are excited to see where Eva’s journey of economic empowerment takes her next – all the while inspiring her children, other 100 Women Club beneficiaries and community members around her to believe in themselves and embark on endeavors of their own.
