Paper Beads Women Invest!
The ladies from the Banda Internally Displaced Women¹s Association - BIDWA - acquire a new capital: chicks!
Displaced from the North
Mostly composed of Internally Displaced People from Northern Uganda, this impressive group of some 300 members are based in the Banda slum, also known as Acholi Quarters. Many of them are HIV positive, single mothers and/or widows. A large number of them speak their local Luo and have difficulties integrating and finding decent jobs.
Working at the Quarry
For many, the only chance to earn money was in the neighbouring stone quarry, a dangerous and physically challenging place to work. For less than $0.5 a bucket, these women would sit in the sun, cracking stones into gravel for local construction companies. Accidents and injuries were a daily occurrence.
Recycling Paper into Beads
Making beads from recycled paper has always been a side activity in this community. Using discarded paper sheets, the women work from home and sell their products to local shops and in markets. Last year, thanks to Coop Firenze's order in collaboration with the Africa Community Project, the group benefited from a regular work flow and income.
A New Venture
After the order, the women voted to pool their earnings and purchased over 300 breading chicks, which take a few months to grow and are in high demand locally. “Once they're adults, we can sell them for up to UGX15,000 (about $15). With that money, we will buy more,” says Pamela, the group leader. When we interviewed the women individually to find out how they plan to spend their earnings, all have the same response: "we want to ensure school fees for our children". As a generation that suffered from lack of education (the majority are illiterate) these women are giving everything they have to offer a better start to their children.
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