In Uganda, the public education system offers tuition-free primary and secondary school. However, fees such as uniforms, books, and school maintenance are the responsibility of families, and those living in poverty are often unable to pay them. This drives a very high dropout rate, even more so in the highest poverty regions such as Karamoja.

Masiko is a student in Karamoja who comes from an impoverished household and works to help support her family. Every weekend after school, she breaks stones to sell for construction material. The physically demanding work pays little, but her family needs her wages to put food on the table. 

When a Savings Group started in her village, Masiko’s mother was away seeking work, so Masiko joined in her mother’s place. As the youngest member in her group, she soaked in everything she learned. The group taught her new skills, inspired her with renewed hope, and emphasized the importance of education. 

Masiko learned to manage her time more effectively so that her work did not compromise her studies. Training in business alongside the other group members made her a confident and efficient stone seller, which enabled her to increase her profit. With the group offering a safe place to save, Masiko began to put small sums away for her education and for her future. Encouraged by the group, she excelled in her studies.

Now Masiko is beating the odds and even paying her own school fees so that she can continue her education. Her new success is inspiring other girls in her community to join Savings Groups so that they can stay in school and realize their dreams too. In the future, Masiko hopes to become a teacher in her village so that she can educate the next generation.