“I struggled a lot with my two children. I sometimes survived on a meal a day and at times I didn’t eat at all just to ensure that my children had food on the table.”

Confua Winnifred
A single mother of two children

In 2007, Confua Winnifred became a single mother of two children at 25 years. 17 years later at 42 years she has managed to survive the hardships of single motherhood quite well. One might call this a beating the odds story but this could be an “If life gives you lemons, then make a lemonade.” kind of story. Now at 42, she painfully recalls the hard life she passed through after her husband left her.  “I struggled a lot with my two children. I sometimes survived on a meal a day and at times I 

didn’t eat at all just to ensure that my children had food on the table.” She remembers.

In a bid to overcome her precarious situation, the resident of Kubi village, Pacaka Parish, Erussi sub-county in Nebbi district started coffee farming. Unfortunately, she had very few coffee trees that weren’t sustainable coupled with a lack of knowledge of good agronomic practices. In addition, she was plagued by middlemen who complicated and stressed the marketing process for her coffee and she was literally drowning in losses. This kept on for a while until 2015 when she heard of the Oxfam project and joined it.

“The project opened my eyes and changed my life in ways I must explain. We were trained on saving money to do developmental things. We were also taught good coffee agronomic practices like pruning and contouring. We were also taught and encouraged to bulk our coffee. If we were to get good money from our coffee. We learnt how to make good quality coffee, we call it specialty coffee which commands a premium price on the market.” She explains.

Winnifred started putting what she had learnt into practice and began bulking as well as saving with a purpose.  This propelled her life to greater heights. “I realized that the savings group would help me educate my children in good schools and luckily I sent my children to a good school in town.”

She further says that she was trained on diversification of income and laying strategies for resilience. She was trained on how to make kitchen gardens where they can grow vegetables and make an income and feed themselves as they wait for money from coffee. She began growing vegetables in her home which she would sell and also use for home consumption. This is a practice she does even during the dry season. “I plant near the river my vegetables during the dry season because I want to constantly have vegetables.”

In 2016, after undergoing the gender action learning system training, she was empowered to take a bold step of moving from a grass thatched house to a permanent one. Her vision was too big for some of her community members as it raised eyebrows because it seemed too impossible for a single mother but guess what? “I had a plan for my house, and I started the construction immediately. I saved with a purpose and bought a pig which farrowed 7 piglets. I sold all the piglets after 2 months at UGX 70,000/= each and got 490,000/= (approx. 132USD) which I used to lay bricks. I then bulked coffee and soon, I had completed my house! I had a clear vision for it and nothing was going to stop me.” She proudly says as she moves around her completed house.

With her house complete, her eyes are set on acquiring a “moving house” (Car) to ease her movements because she feels that she can achieve anything, and she has a vision. When asked about her children, Winnifred says that her two children have finished senior four and progressing to the next level. “My children have seen the development I have got from this project and appreciate it a lot. They are so committed to my coffee fields to the extent that they are involved. I have trained them on what to do. They are able to pick coffee in the garden and can also deliver the coffee at the bulking center. They are also helpful at the micro-station when it comes to sorting.” Her children are very proud of her because she has single handedly on her won raised them and they owe what they her to her. “I am their mother and father.”

By now, you probably think you know everything about Confua Winnifred but not at all of it. “It was a norm in this community that women can’t take up leadership roles until the micro station opened. I was elected the secretary. I have delivered effectively to the amazement of many people who thought women weren’t able. This position has also given me a platform and recognition. I am getting many opportunities as a result of this leadership.” Confua reveals. This is true because even her chairman and members of the micro station attest to her leadership skills as being excellent. The chairman Mr. Komakech Kennedy says “The micro station has given women a voice to be leaders. My secretary is very effective and transparent. I have no issue with her work because she is very good.”

Winnifred is grateful for the Irish Aid PG2 project and doesn’t want it to end. In her own words, she describes the project as a fishnet where you can catch the fish you want.