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Deborah is forty-three years old and a
widow. Her husband passed away from AIDS in 2000.
Most of her children have moved away from her home, but she is still looking after
her twelve and four year olds. She is also looking after two of her orphaned
grandchildren. Their parents both passed away from AIDS. Fortunately,
both her grandchildren are HIV negative.
Deborah keeps livestock. She had one large pig which produces piglets, ten
chickens that produce baby chicks and - rather uniquely for Buvunya - a female rabbit
that produces small rabbits. She sells the piglets, chicks and rabbits to
pay for school fees and educational supplies.
Deborah has a small crop of land where she grows cassava, beans and maize.
She and her family consumes all she grows. They typically eat two meals a day, though this can be less during the dry season.
She has a thirty minute round trip every day to collect four jerry cans of water for her family. Her children come with her to help her carry the jerry cans.
There is often a large line at the well and Deborah often waits for up to thirty
minutes.
She knows that Americans are aware that Africans are poor and should do more to
help - like buying necklaces from GrassRootsUganda.com.
She says her major problems are buying necessities for the home, such as: sugar,
salt, clothes and medicines.
Her greatest wish would be to improve her income generating skills so that she can
provide for her children.
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