Crocheting – Source of Income

Ms Akulo Agnes, a widow with 7 children, she has done many odd jobs to provide her family with the basic needs like food, shelter, medical and education. Her struggles don’t differ much from the many widows that are poverty stricken in the slums of Kampala Uganda. She had tried many avenues of generating income but still falling short on rising school fees for her children.

The answer to her rising school fees came through a skills development program that offered her training in crocheting. She quickly picked interest after realizing the potential this could have in increasing income for her household. She also easily identifies with it because it did not require her to change her day to day routines. She could still go work at a Day Care Centre in her neighbourhood and return home to prepare food for her kids about to arrive from school.

When all housework is done and the kids are off to play, she sits outside her house and picks the needle and thread and start crocheting.

The crocheting did not change her interactions with her social circles. She says, “I attend church meetings and visit my friends with my needle and thread. The moment I sit down, my hands get busy as I listen and talk.

 The money from crocheting is an excellent addition to my income. Now, I plan my week based on how much money I need for that week to be able to raise the school fees before children are sent home for school fees defaulting. After that, I also break down to how many pieces of shoe straps I have to crochet to raise the school fees,” said Ms Akulo. This has contributed significantly to improving the living conditions of my family and education for my children.

Based on the work Center For Tomorrow is doing in the community to skill women, Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) partnered with us to enable the organization be able to skill more women in other skills like tailoring of clothes and bags, shaggy mats.