Sparklers Mothers Club

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Sparklers Mothers Club: These ladies were all in my mothers group for financial literacy as well as the tailoring courses I taught last year. They started a saving group to encourage each other at the same time.

This is my only group loan thus far. They have started a tailoring shop together so they can work as a team. They received a $2,000,000 UGX ($600 USD) loan. They used the funds to buy materials and tools to start up the shop. They are currently renting the space next to RWO where the tailoring classes took place.

I had a business planning meeting with this group to talk about how they want to expand in the near future. While they have made a great start there are still many things they need to work on as the competition is steep. They do not yet have consistent hours of operations including weekends. They also need to work on their craftsmanship and creativity to be competitive.

The discussion centered on the challenges in their home life and the impact on the business. Some of them have husbands that will randomly not allow them to leave the home to go to work. While other husbands have so many things they want the women to do at home so it is hard for them to manage both. RWO will continue to try to engage the husbands to get their support. While other women are working toward having the confidence or financial ability to leave their destructive relationship. We are planning to continue our business strategy meetings virtually so I can engage with them from home.

These women still have a long way to go, but I believe they can do it and I am anxious to continue to engage with them.

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