Margriet (62) was born in the Masindi district in Uganda and moved to Jinja as a child. Margriet is living in one of the poorest areas in Jinja called Danida village; she speaks Lusoga, Luganda, Swahili and Nyuro. Margriet is a smart lady and went to school up to primary 4, but because of poverty her parents could not afford to send her to school longer. Margriet is a widow and has 6 children and 12 grandchildren who all went/go to school. Education is one of the most important things in life she says. Margriet stays with her grandchildren who look after her. She has a lot of pain in her body and feels often ill, but she does not want to be depended on the help from others all the time. That’s why she started making jewellery. She enjoys to sit with the other ladies together and selling her handmade jewellery makes her very proud. We love her strong spirit and the good energy she brings to the group!
One of her grandchildren is supported by the foundation 22STARS through the provision of school fees and school uniform. The foundation in 2017 has also provided Margriet with a small business training, through which she has learnt to operate a business successfully in all its aspects (strategic, financial etc). She is very grateful for the training received, as her dream would be to be able to buy land and build her own home.