Success Story: Empowering Young Mothers Through Skills Development

Bolhubasa Robina is an adolescent single mother of a one-year-old baby girl, one of the beneficiaries supported by Spes for community and a strong example of resilience and determination. In August 2025, Robina successfully graduated from a three-month basket weaving training project funded by SRCC supported by Helping Hands. Upon completion, she was provided with one weaving roll as startup support to help her begin her income-generating journey.

Using the startup materials, Robina made nine baskets, which she sold for a total of UGX 90,000. She wisely reinvested the income into her business. By January 2026, she had sold five more baskets, earning UGX 55,000. With this income, Robina diversified her livelihood by starting a side business of selling smoked mudfish. She now weaves baskets in the afternoons and sells smoked mudfish in the evenings, enabling her to manage both businesses while caring for her young daughter.

Robina shares that acquiring basket weaving skills has greatly improved her life, as she now runs two small businesses that support her household. She believes that the profits from both activities will help her meet her immediate needs and provide a better future for her daughter. Looking ahead, Robina plans to acquire a loan from a women’s SACCO to further boost and expand her businesses. Her journey is a powerful testimony to how skills training and small startup support can transform lives and empower young mothers toward self-reliance.