In the heart of Butuntumula community in Luwero, Uganda, a determined young woman named Juliet is reshaping her future.
Just a year ago, 29-year-old Juliet’s only source of income was farming from her small garden.Â
She had previously run a modest popcorn business, but was forced to sell her machine during tough times, leaving her solely dependent on her gardening, which was small and produced limited crops amid unpredictable weather.
“When I was only doing my garden work, I was so challenged by the climate conditions, Juliet shared. “It rained too much or dropped too much sun.”
When Juliet learned about a new program to help young women in her community learn life skills, save money, and start businesses, she was thrilled. As a mother of four children — ages nine, six, five, and two — Juliet was excited for the opportunity to improve her family’s future.
Once Juliet joined Mastercard Foundation Accelerating Impact for Young Women in partnership with BRAC (AIM), she attended a weekly youth empowerment club with other young women in her community. The club became a safe space for the girls to sing, laugh, learn, and support one another. Led by a peer mentor, they learned life skills, discussed topics like gender-based violence and women’s health. The women also gained access to financial literacy and business training.
“AIM is good,” Juliet shared. “AIM has taught me things that I didn’t know, like how to handle business, how to save, and also child health and family planning, and how to care for my children.”
Juliet initially faced skeptics in her community, who doubted she would gain much from the program. “In the beginning, it was not easy for me — it was kind of hard,” Juliet recalled.
But Juliet persisted, learning new life skills and forming strong bonds with the other girls in her club.Â
“I even made friends with madam here,” she said, pointing fondly to Beatrice, a local BRAC staff member who regularly visits the club, and has become Juliet’s close confidante and supporter.
Juliet learned crucial financial management skills. “I learned ways of saving,” she said. She now budgets separate money for food, her children’s school fees, and also prioritizes setting aside savings for the future.Â
With her first loan from BRAC, Juliet decided to revive her popcorn business. Despite facing an initial setback when she purchased poor-quality popcorn kernels that didn’t pop well, she remained determined. Taking out a microloan from BRAC enabled her to buy more stock and grow her business.Â
“My business is prospering in the last year,” Juliet shared proudly. The capital from BRAC, combined with business management training, helped her attract more customers and boost her sales.
Julie’s daily routine is a testament to her industrious spirit and her dedication to her family. She starts the morning working in her garden, growing crops like beans while her children are at school. By midday, she prepares food for her children before heading to work at her popcorn stand in the afternoon, when her customers are ready to snack! Juliet and her husband, Allan, work as a team, with her husband caring for the children while she’s out working.
Now that her business is off the ground, Juliet dreams of expanding it.Â
“My income is more stable now,” she said. “Now, I am saving some money. When the money accumulates, I want to rent a room to open up a shop.” Juliet plans to stock her shop with other grocery staples like bread and pineapple juice, helping her to attract customers throughout the day in addition to the afternoon snacking hours.
But she’s set her sights beyond just a grocery shop: Juliet also wants to buy land that she can rent out, creating another source of income for her family. She also plans to hire help for her garden work while she’s running her shop.
Beyond her business aspirations, Juliet’s biggest goal is to secure her children’s education. “My emphasis is to meet the school fees of my children. That’s my goal for my children.” She’s doing great so far: All four of her children are attending school.
In her free time, Juliet loves playing with her children, learning from them, and enjoying their company. Her family and friends describe her as hardworking and dedicated, often calling her a “workaholic” because she’s always working hard for her business and her family.
Despite initial skepticism in her community, Juliet’s success has silenced the doubters. “Everyone in the community sees how the transformation helped us. Now no one is talking. Everyone in the village is quiet!” she proudly shared.
As we celebrate International Youth Day, Juliet’s journey reminds us of the incredible potential within every young person. They just need the opportunity to realize it. Juliet is one of more than a million young people like Juliet that will benefit from the AIM program.
Sarah Allen is Communications Manager at BRAC USA.
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In October 2022, a glimmer of hope arrived when BRAC launched a livelihood project in Afghanistan and invited Khadija to participate. Through a comprehensive 36-day training program, she learned how to rear chickens and use an incubator to help eggs hatch. The training helped Khadija build her technical skills, expand her knowledge, and boost her confidence.Â
After the training, Khadija received an incubator, a battery, solar panels, wiring, a lamp, switches, feeding and water bowls, chick feed, and $1160 in cash to help launch her own poultry farming venture. Equipped with these resources, Khadija embarked on her journey as an entrepreneur raising chickens.
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At just 21 years old, Lonah is a mother, small business owner, and the breadwinner of her family. Her family of three — herself, her spouse, and her baby, Verena, just seven months old — lives in Luwero, Uganda, where they rent a modest home.Â
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“There are teachings as women that we are usually told. But in the clubs, we learned all about topics like family planning, balanced diets, and child abuse.”
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“I got this sewing machine here from BRAC; something I never imagined getting in my life,” she shared while beaming at her prized possession.
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When I asked Angelique if she wanted to take a photo with a friend from the club, she enthusiastically reached for her mentor and AIM club leader.
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Members of Angelique’s AIM club proudly show that empowered women are strong women.Â
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