At just 11 years old, Filder was forced to drop out of school. The war in Northern Uganda created a ripple effect for Filder and thousands of people across generations. Dropping out of school wouldn’t be the last time that the war would affect her life. Years later, as a young mother of two children, her husband David was badly beaten and left for dead in a war-related ambush while traveling home from work. David eventually found work as a motorcycle taxi driver, but soon after had his motorcycle stolen, magnifying the challenges of living in extreme poverty. Their family turned to making and selling alcohol to feed their family.
Life for their family changed in 2012 when Filder had the opportunity to join a THRIVE Empowerment Group and participate in the Village Savings and Loan Association. Filder had two important goals: to save enough money to pay the school fees for her two daughters and to build a two-room, iron-roof home. She was determined to make sure her children had a better life than she had.
At first, Filder was very skeptical that her life would change being in the Empowerment Group. She had endured a lot of challenges in life and was nervous about joining a group with people she didn’t know. But soon she began learning the art of saving money and contributed a small amount each week. She began to make new friends and build a support system.
With the encouragement of the other women and her new business skills, Filder borrowed a small business loan from the group to sell her produce in the Gulu Market. She shared, “I began with a few items including cabbage, avocado, tomatoes, and passion fruit. Now you can see I have many items at my booth for sale. Some of my customers even call me before they reach the market, to book what they want to buy.”
After saving enough money to pay for her children’s school fees, Filder began saving for her home. She began building the home in stages, constructing and adding more step by step. During that time, she shared, “Because of the Empowerment Group, I have the ability to feed and care for my family, pay school fees, and construct this small house, all without money from my husband. Otherwise, I would be dying now of pain in the heart.”
Today, we are excited to share that Filder has paid her children’s school fees and finished her home! She shares, “Do you notice that I look different than before? My whole life has changed. I have not gone to school but I’m earning my monthly salary from my business. I want to share with my fellow women around this community how strong I am now. It was through savings that I was able to build my business on my own and also build a house.”
As for the future, Filder has more goals she is focusing on, beginning with her two daughters. She proudly shared that both have been accepted to a top-rated University! She hopes she can continue to earn enough from her business to help support them during college. Her next goal is to buy her husband a new motorcycle so that he can get back to work again. Filder has not only become a role model for those in her village, she has become a role model for others around the world. At THRIVEGulu, we are very proud of Filder. Her hard work and dedication have empowered her to be successful and make her dreams come true.
