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Robinah lives at home with her husband and her five children aged from six months
to seven years.
Robinah and her husband struggle to raise the money for the two children who are
old enough to go to school, though at the moment they're managing it. School
fees are ush17,000 ($US 9.19) per term.
They rent a piece of land for ush10,000 ($US 5.13) per year and grow matooke (green
banana) and sweet potato. They would like to use fertilizers and pesticides,
but cannot afford it. The eat most of the food they grow, and sell some of
it when they can.
They also own two goats, two cows and two chickens. The animals are just left
to graze - they cannot afford any formal farming techniques. The goats and
the cows
will be sold for school fees and the eggs from the chickens are sold or eaten.
Robinah also uses any spare time she might have (It's hard work being an African
women!) to make tablecloths made from wool. She sells a set of five for a
profit of of ush26,000 ($US 14.05). She is lucky to sell one a month.
The have two meals a day - one in the morning and one in the evening. They
can afford to buy some meat twice a week.
Robinah walks a five kilometers round trip every day for the three jerry cans of water she and her family needs. Her older children come along and help carry
the jerry cans. There is often a long queue at the pump. Robinah boils
some of the water everyday so that it is safe to drink.
Malaria is a big problem for Robinah's family. Her children suffer from malaria
many times a month. When it gets really bad, she takes them to the hospital
in the neighbouring town. Transport costs her ush4,000 ($US 2.16) there and
back. Sometimes she has been forced to carry her sick child.
It cost
her ush2,500 ($US 1.35) to get her child tested, and ush20,000 ($US 10.81) for admission
if the malaria is very bad.
She hopes that many necklaces are sold on GrassRootsUganda.com so that she can send her kids to school, buy them a uniform and ensure that they are well fed.
Her greatest wish would be to get electricity in the village and for her husband
to get a boda-boda (a motorcycle taxi) so that he can generate some income.
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