Basalirwa
Kenya
One morning in April 2020, Basalirwa’s labor pains started, but having been a mother before she brushed it off as false labor. Basalirwa had only been able to afford a single visit to an antenatal care clinic during her second trimester since she had recently separated from her husband and was on her own. When the pain continued into the next day she went into the clinic and was told the baby wasn’t coming yet. It wasn’t until another day passed without delivery that the health care worker realized the baby was dangerously laying across the womb.
I was exhausted and passed out. I woke up in Hospital. I later got to know that my brothers supported me on a passenger motorcycle to the hospital in the night. When I gained conscience, I asked where my baby in vain. Later, I noticed was wet nonstop.
Basalirwa had lost her baby. She developed not one, but TWO fistulas: one fistula between her bladder and vagina caused uncontrollable leaking of urine while another between her rectum and vagina allowed gas and stool to leak.
After two separate successful surgeries for the different fistulas, Basalirwa worked with Terrewode social workers for social reintegration support. She said the economic empowerment sessions with their training team inspired her to venture back into launching a small business to earn income. Life had been hard for her since separating from her husband.
Basalirwa had previously tried selling secondhand clothes, but in partly because of the COVID-19 outbreak the business crumbled and she depleted her savings.
When I met with the team from TERREWODE, I told them that I needed to learn some entrepreneurial skills. I informed them of the business I had before. They discussed different business options and appealed to all of us to do something and earn personal income after a fistula treatment.
Basalirwa created a business plan to buy and sell tomatoes. Shortly after being discharged from the hospital, she went to her mother for startup money of $24 USD to purchase her initial stock in February 2021.
On average, she has been able to sell two baskets of tomatoes every week making $20 after taxes and bringing home $80 monthly.
Basalirwa continues to work with Terrewode and recently received additional business training in entrepreneurial skills including marketing, pricing, positioning, and record keeping. She also learned how to make liquid soap and soap bars!
When I return home, I’m going to add on liquid soap to my tomato business to diversify my sources of income. I’m confident I will make sales because it’s one of the items on high demand during this era of the pandemic..
