"Though I am a girl from the ghetto I can have a dream. I am somebody.”
Hafisa’s training helped her start a business and now she is able to buy the things she needs to help her stay in school
Have you tried a Ugandan daddie? They're delicious bite-sized sweet fried cubes made from flour. Hafisa, explains how your support and her tasty treats are fuelling her determination to be an independent woman and to change the world!
"I’m in S4 and I am proud to say I run my own business. I started one year ago, after I got training from Awamu.
We learnt how to make and bake sweet things and we had training on running and marketing a business. I felt inspired, I did my research and felt I could really make it work.
When I had the idea to make and sell Daddies, I realised that I am competing with a bigger well know supplier. They also sell their products for one thousand shillings (approx. 0.22p). But when people eat my daddies they realise mine are better.
So I gave out samples, to show how good my product is. I targeted all the shops that I wanted to stock my product, my friends at school and supermarkets. It took off and now I am earning enough to buy the things I need.
When I finish school, I go home and cook them fresh every evening for delivery early the next morning. I now work with two people, my good friend Sharon who helps we cook and prepare them. And Amos who helps with deliveries and marketing.
I feel good as I don't have to rely on any one if I need something. I can get them for myself. As a girl without parents, this very important to me.
I have seen many girls end up in bad situations because they need money. During lockdown lots of girls had men promise to help them but all they wanted was to take advantage of them. It has ruined their life.
In the future I want to be a doctor because things have to change for people here. My friend’s mum was ill. They went to the hospital, but they wouldn’t even look at her without having the money in their hands. They had no heart. I felt so bad about that she died because she didn’t have the money. Everyday people die here because they don't have the little money, they need to see a doctor.
When I'm a doctor I'll make sure people can get treatment if they need it. The situation here makes me determined. Though I am a girl from the ghetto I can have a dream. I am somebody.
I can do something to change the situation. I have an idea. I have knowledge. I just needed an opportunity.
Awamu has given me this opportunity by keeping me in school and making me feel strong about speaking my voice.
My greatest wish is that me and my friends succeed and I am able to pass on these opportunities that I have been given to others. That way we can make the change needed together."
When girls are forced to drop out of school, it’s not just their education and life opportunities that suffer. Girls become even more vulnerable to violence, exploitation, early pregnancy and harmful practices including child marriage.
Your support is transformational. You are critical in helping girls like Hafiswa to stay in school and to take control over their future. Thank you for your generosity and kindness.
Want to try your own making your own Daddies? Hafisa shares a recipe so you can get a little taste of Uganda at home
Ingredients:
400g of plain flour
a pinch of baking soda
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 tablespoon of margarine
80g of white sugar
1 and 1/4 cups, water
2 cups of vegetable cooking oil
Method: Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and sift well. Mix in sugar and margarine to until it feels crumbly. Add water and mix well until it forms a dough. Knead about 10 minutes and then cover and put into the friedge for around half an hour. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Roll out your dough to 1 .5 cms thick. Cut into cubes (see Hafisa picture above ) and fry until golden brown. Allow to cool a little before eating!
Hafisa and Sharon