In Bukumbula Lwengo, a village in rural Uganda, a young boy contracted polio at the tender age of three. The disease stole his ability to walk, forcing him to rely on his hands for mobility. However, this setback did not extinguish his determination. Today, he stands as an extraordinary member of the School Community Bank, started in his village by Kisoboka Africa, a non-profit organization striving for financial inclusion, poverty reduction, and food security through their School Community Banks (SCOBAs) program.
Founded in 2016 by Stephen Katende, a visionary social entrepreneur, Kisoboka Africa empowers impoverished parents in rural Africa with the tools to economically thrive and provide education for their children. SCOBAs are community-based savings and lending groups hosted by local schools. They enable parents, teachers, and students to save, access loans, and acquire vital business skills. Kisoboka Africa offers training and mentorship to young individuals seeking to establish or enhance their agribusiness ventures.
Our remarkable protagonist joined a SCOBA near his home in Bukumbula, embarking on a journey of financial discipline and agricultural self-sufficiency. Regular savings and financial management lessons became his foundation, while comprehensive training equipped him with knowledge of crop cultivation and animal husbandry. Embracing small-scale farming as his primary income source, he invests his savings and SCOBA loans into seeds, fertilizers, tools, and livestock. His land flourishes with maize, beans, bananas, and an array of vegetables. Selling his abundant produce and animals at the local market, he earns a respectable income that sustains his family’s livelihood.
Proud of his achievements, he attributes his transformation to Kisoboka Africa. Joining the SCOBA has changed his life for the better, teaching him how to overcome challenges and pursue his aspirations. Amidst the hardships, he finds happiness and hopes for a brighter future.
His story epitomizes the indomitable spirit and resilience of Kisoboka Africa’s beneficiaries. Together with thousands of others impacted by the organization’s work, he showcases the potential to transform lives through financial inclusion and economic empowerment