Beatrice

Beatrice grew up in a family of 10 children, whose parents relied on farming and livestock to support the family. In those days, it wasn’t believed that girls should be sent to school, so she and her sisters stayed at home to complete chores. The climate was poor while she was growing up, so at times her parents would walk very long distances to get food for them. Sometimes these trips were four days long, leaving the children at home alone.. Beatrice and her sisters would go for water three times per day, a four-hour round trip, carrying it home in hallowed gourds.

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She got married at 23 and had four children with her husband. The first and second born had to drop out of school because they could not afford the school fees. Her third was the first to complete secondary school, and her last born is attending secondary school currently.

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Before Beatrice started crocheting, her days started by fetching firewood and cooking a morning meal for her children. During the day she would work in other people’s farms to make more money for the family. Now, her husband goes into the fields for farm work while she stays at home making baskets. She feels relieved because now she is able to make more income and can support the family better through her basket making. The family uses this money to pay for school fees for their youngest child.

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She loves her work, and dreams of learning how to make more things, so she can grow her talents and create more products. What makes her happiest in life is being able to do her work, and seeing it

becoming successful