Meet Abigari (pseudonym), a resilient 16-year-old girl from Usuk Town Council in Katakwi District. Like many young girls, she dreamed of pursuing higher education and lifting her family out of poverty. However, her aspirations were disrupted when financial constraints forced her to drop out. Thanks to the USAID-funded OVC North East Activity’s community apprenticeship program, Abigari has found renewed hope and is now on a path to realizing her dreams.
As the only child in her family living with HIV, Abigari’s determination remained strong. Since beginning Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in 2015, she has successfully maintained a suppressed viral load. At just 12 years old, she took on the challenging role of primary caregiver for her five younger siblings while her single mother often left home in search of work to support the family. Juggling ART, caregiving, and her studies was difficult, but Abigari persevered.
After completing primary seven, however, she was forced to pause her education due to her family’s financial hardships. Abigari’s once-resilient spirit began to fade without access to education or support. Despite her commitment to caring for her siblings through small-scale farming to provide food and ensure they stayed in school, she struggled with immense pain and depression. Feeling lost, her hopes for a better future began to dim and she turned to night discos locally known as “Okadibong”, as a coping mechanism against her depression.
Everything changed on June 3, 2023, when Abigari was enrolled in the USAID-funded OVC North East Activity community apprenticeship program. She began a three-month course in tailoring at Ngariam Technical Institute, which reignited her passion and determination. Eager to learn, she quickly mastered essential tailoring skills and began producing and selling her garments. When social workers visited her in August, they were impressed by her creativity and even purchased some of her clothing. Local customers now regularly visit the institute to buy her products and have their clothes repaired.
Abigari’s entrepreneurial ventures have significantly improved her livelihood, allowing her to meet personal needs and contribute to her household. She has become a beacon of hope for her family, and her mother, filled with gratitude, credits the OVC NEA program for transforming their lives. With her newly acquired skills, Abigari is determined to uplift her family from poverty and is steadily progressing toward becoming the empowered entrepreneur she once dreamed of being.
