Their Stories Changed Me; Their Voices Created Impact

I met these women in 2020 and I was blown away and humbled to hear wrecking personal stories they shared as women with disabilities. A team of us got to conduct an assessment in West Nile Region in Uganda on how women with disability cope with GBV and its effects on their lives. My expectation was to hear the ordinary usual experiences of women grappling and suffering due to GBV, little did I know that their stories would change the way I viewed disability and make me appreciate more certain issues surrounding women and girls with disability.

Experiences such as; I was thrown out of my marriage because my in-laws rejected me for disability; I was raped and when I went to report to police, I was instead blamed why I should be engaging in sex yet I am disabled; my husband took away all my business money and married another woman leaving me helpless saying I am disabled; I have never felt a whole human being due to the disability and that makes me feel less. As a solution, these women unanimously asked to be empowered economically to reduce on their dependence and vulnerability.

I came back to Kampala but the shared life experiences of these women remained engraved in my mind. I kept in touch with a few of these women. One particular woman with disability (Angela) who decided to change the status quo of her life and the women with disability in her community amazed me. She mobilized 6 women and began a local savings group (Ezoova Women with Disabilities Savings  group) where they started with only 6,000 shillings (2 USD).  She spoke to her fellow women with disability including those who had resorted to begging along the roads to form a group. I wanted to help but did not know how. Their desire was to grow their savings while doing their individual businesses to improve on their lives and those of their children.  

In the beginning of 2021 I wrote a simple proposal under my organization (Alias Women Our |Roots) which attracted some seed resources from Critereon Institute and decided to boost their group members individual businesses with 500,000 shillings (141$). I have been following the amazing stories of these women. The lockdown due to COVID affected them but they were able to sail through in their businesses. These women do petty businesses like vegetables, peanut, onions, silver fish, charcoal, women dresses in markets or roadside kiosks which have since grown.

Angela (chairperson of the savings group) today told me that their savings group of 14 women with disability now has a savings of about 6,000,000= (1,690 USD). They now save 10,000= (2.8$) each member (140,000= shillings [39$]) every week. They meet every Sunday of the week at 2.00 pm to deliberate on issues about members’ businesses, personal lives and guide and build each other. In these weekly meetings each member additionally saves 1000 shillings (0.35$) for welfare and 1000 shillings (0.35$) for emergencies/medical. They assess as a group the demand of the member’s business and determine what to add.

It’s amazing to note that these women have not forgotten one of the key objectives why they formed their group.  welfare of their children/family remains on top of their group agenda. i.e. food security is one of the reasons. These women also ensure that every member has stocked at least some food dry rations such as posho flour, salt, sugar, and soap in the house which are basic items in a person’s life.  

“This life improvement has given us dignity and the community now gives us some respect because we are no longer fully dependent on others. We want to be role models in the community” Angela said.

It excited me when Angela told me that she has just bought a smart phone for her daughter in senior three to aid her attend virtual classes. Due to COVID schools are still closed (except tertiary which have opened). Only those who value education and can afford smart phones for their children attend lessons.  This is empowerment of women! This is the ripple impact of empowering women. She has changed other women’s and girls lives.

Angela also said that the women are seeing a bright future and determined to grow their businesses. They plan to buy a motorcycle as a method to generate more money for the group members. We want to ensure that our living conditions are better. These group of women with disabilities want to either buy a piece of land to settle each member who does not have a piece of land or construct iron roofed houses.  

Above all, through this Angela is now seeking justice because she is enlightened, confident and empowered. For me I feel happy for what has yielded from a little action of kindness I did. I hope I can continue nurturing this group of women and many other women with disabilities.

Because I listened to their compelling and touching life stories of living with disabilities, I heard;  because I heard, I appreciated the narrative of women with disability; because I appreciated, I contributed to making a difference in these women's lives and because this change took effect, impact is being created in the lives of these women and those around them.

Let me know what you think.