From Barely Getting By to Driving My First Car – My Surprising Journey

Two years ago, I was working as a cashier at a small supermarket in Mbale, Uganda. My pay could only cover rent, food, and a few personal needs. Every day, I’d watch cars drive past on the road outside and imagine what it would be like to own one. I pictured the freedom of not waiting for taxis or boda bodas, of taking my mother to church on Sundays without worrying about transport costs. But to me, owning a car seemed like something that happened to other people, not someone in my position.

I tried to put money aside, but there was always an emergency. My younger brother’s school fees, a leaking roof, or helping a friend in trouble would quickly wipe out my savings. By the end of each month, my account was back to zero. I even considered taking a loan, but the interest rates were too high, and I feared being trapped in debt. Slowly, I began to think that maybe the dream of owning a car was out of my reach.

One evening, while having tea with my colleague Sarah, she shared a story that caught my interest. She had just returned from visiting her aunt in Kenya and told me how her aunt’s life had changed. This aunt had been struggling with a failing business, debts, and family disputes, yet found help from a group called the Shaba Mangube Doctors. Sarah said they had ways of helping people turn their lives around, even if they lived far away and never met them face to face. To Read More, Tap Here