Center for Social Development

Participant Profiles

The Asset-Building Program (ABP) in Uganda has changed lives. The stories of four participants in the ABP in Uganda demonstrate the transformative nature of assets and saving.

Richard's story
Richard learned about the ICR Uganda program following the death of both of his parents from AIDS. Just 20 years old, Richard worried about how he would take care of himself and his two younger brothers. In 2004, he joined the program and saved the income he made through small jobs and farming work. Within 6 months, he had accumulated UGS 500,000 in his account—the largest amount of money he had ever owned. With this savings and the match, Richard purchased a motorcycle. He described this purchase as “a dream come true.”

The motorcycle provided Richard with a stable source of income. By renting the motorcycle, Richard earned UGS 5,000 per day, enough to pay for his own school fees as well as those of his brothers. With this reliable income, he was able to graduate high school and to acquire 2 acres of land worth UGS 400,000 that he currently farms. Richard is now married, and he and his wife have a 5-month-old son. He likes to joke that “this beautiful wife of mine wouldn’t have admired me, if it was not for the ABP project.”

Richard continues to save although he is no longer in the program and must pay the standard bank fees, which are higher than those in the ABP project. He believes that a continuing commitment to saving will allow him to accumulate more assets in the future and further improve the lives of his family members.

Grace's story
Grace separated from her husband in 2001. Although she and her husband had accumulated substantial assets during their marriage, her husband retained legal ownership of the property after their separation, leaving Grace with nothing. Anxious to find a source of income with which to support her 6 children, Grace opened a small bar on the outskirts of her village. The bar, however, earned very little profit.

Grade was skeptical about the ABP at first because she believed saving was something only rich people could do. As she persisted, however, she found that she was able to save; in fact, she accumulated UGS 500,000 in 6 months. With this savings and the match, Grace was able to buy 5 oxen that earned her between 50,000 and 60,000 shillings per day. She continued to save after the program ended, and has used her savings to purchase 5 additional oxen, 10 goats, and 10 acres of land. Grace attributes her continued success in saving and acquiring assets to the ABP program: “the ABP has taught me how to become a respected farmer and how to always plan ahead,” she notes. The program has also helped her to care for her family. Her income allows her to pay her children’s school fees, and she has had the happiness of seeing two of her children graduate from college. Her next goal is to build her children a house.

Esther's story
Like Richard, Esther joined the ABP project in 2004 during a difficult time in her life. A single mother of 4, who had been abandoned by her husband, she was struggling to make ends meet. After her husband left, she quickly learned to sew and managed to acquire an old sewing machine that she could use to earn an income for her family. Soon after, however, her sewing machine was stolen and she turned to farming, even though she earned much less as a farmer. After joining the ABP project, she saved UGS 500,000 in 8 months and with the saving match was able to buy another sewing machine. With the machine, Esther could earn 12,000 shillings per day in a good season and 3,000 shillings in a bad season. The income allows her to send her children to school and to regain a sense of self worth and connection to the community: “I can talk in public meetings now without discomfort,” she notes.

Esther continues to save, and has been able to acquire 4 Boer goats and a commercial plot worth UGS 300,000 with her additional savings. She is currently building a commercial house on the land, and planning to expand her Boer goat business. Esther is particularly grateful for the education she acquired through the ABP project; “the major asset I required,” she notes, “is the positive savings culture that I was exposed to.” Confident in her ability to continue saving, Esther concludes “my eyes were indeed opened to look into the future with certainty.”

Christopher's story
Christopher recalls the moment he learned of the ABP as the moment “I knew I had struck gold.” Christopher joined the program in 2003 and was able to purchase 4 cows with his savings and the match. “Ever since,” he reports, “all I have made are profits.” He now owns 8 cows, has built a house, and has acquired more land for crop production. “I no longer have to worry about providing food for my family like many in my village,” Christopher says proudly. In fact, he is able to feed his children milk, a food he considered a luxury in the past. His children benefit from the additional nutrition.

Chris plans to continue saving his profit from milk sales with the goal of developing a business in Kiryandongo trading center. He is grateful the ABP for teaching him how to save.

Center for Social Development
George Warren Brown School of Social Work
Washington University
Campus Box 1196
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899
tel: (314) 935-7433
fax: (314) 935-8661
csd@wustl.edu