Life in Africa Member: Becky Mbabazi

2006-06-22T03:08:00.000-07:00

Becky Mbabazi has received a loan to start a second hand clothing business with her sister that has been Guaranteed by her peers at the WE Center Kampala and fully funded through http://kiva.org!

Visit Kiva to read Becky's full loan description and an ongoing journal about the impact of this loan.

Becky has designated 25% of the interest she will pay on this loan to support the WE Center's Advertising and Promotion team's efforts. Learn more about Life in Africa's Community Guaranteed Lending program.

2006-05-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

Wise African Living: Bakiga Proverb from Becky Mbabazi

2006-05-18T03:13:00.000-07:00

My Life in Africa Reports: Becky Mbabazi

2006-05-15T03:15:00.001-07:00

Becky standing in front of the shop where she wants to start second hand clohting business

Becky checking bracelets in the quality control room.

2006-05-15T00:24:00.000-07:00

I Gilbert Matsiko conducted an income assessment with my client Becky Mbabazi and her income is as follows.

She has two sources of income as listed below:

She works with Invisible Children Bracelet Campaign and earns Ushs. 350,000/=
She does a baking business at her home and she earns 140,000/
Her total income is Ushs. 490,000/= per month.

Becky also has expenses as outlined below:

She spends Ushs. 100,000 on food per month.

Beck also spends 100,000/ on children’s needs.

She pays rent of 60,000/=

Transport 30,000/

She spends 50,000/ on medical.

Essentials 20,000/

Her total expenses are Ushs. 360,000/= in a month.

She has a bank account and saves Ushs. 130,000/= per month.

She wants a loan of Ushs. 500,000/=

Becky and I have agreed that she is capable of repaying back her loan in 6 installments of Ushs. 83,333/

Assessment conducted by Gilbert Matsiko.

2006-04-27T05:20:00.000-07:00

Bakiga proverbs (by Becky Mbabazi)

My name is Becky Mbabazi a mukiga by tribe from Kabale district in western part of Uganda. In my culture proverbs are commonly used to instill sense in children and also act as guide lines for the people not togo astray in their actions. Proverbs are also used instead of direct rebukes to one who has defaulted. They are words of wisdom and so it is wise to use them.

I will share two common proverbs that I learnt from my Father and also grandfather respectively “Akatii karainikwa kakyari kabisi “meaning that a stick can only be bent when it is still fresh, if you try to bend it when it is already dry it will definitely break. This is used often times to alert the proverbs to discipline their children when they are still young and can hid advise. It is close to impossible for an adolescent to hid advice if it hadn’t been given earlier. This proverb relates to the English one that says spare the rod and spoils the child. This proverb also alerts the parents that charity begins at home.

“Nyantahurira akarya erisho rye” meaning that he who failed to listen ate his own eye. This proverb has a story following it that there was famine in the land and when people came together, they decided to pluck out their eyes and one person was chosen to cook the eyes while others kept away to discuss the next step after the eye issue. Instructions followed that the cook should not dare to taste, but in the process of cooking he had to taste one to see if they were ready for eating so he called others back together. These members had come to a conclusion that they cannot do without their eyes so each one had to get back his pair of eyes, but the cook was supposed to be the last one to get back his pair, so he ended up with one eye because he had eaten his own eye earlier.

This proverb is important that it alerts people to take advice and instructions seriously. One is responsible for their mistakes always when they fail to take advice.

With the above proverb, I call for comment s and also would like to some views on how other cultures look at proverbs.

2006-04-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Becky Mbabazi is a Life in Africa member at the WE center Kampala Office and her Internet4change agent is Matsiko Gilbert.