Agatha was the third born child, and the only survivor at infancy. At a young age her father remarried to another woman and abandoned her and her mother. When Agatha was seven years old her mother became very ill, so she dropped out of primary school to care of her. At the age of ten her mother passed away, and Agatha was taken in by her grandmother. She enrolled in school again and completed three more years until she dropped out again, this time due to school fees. As her grandmother became elderly, Agatha became her caretaker: cooking, fetching water, and working at local farms for money.

 

At the age of 18, Agatha married and had two children. Her son finished secondary school, and her daughter dropped out to get married. Her husband passed away in 2005, and to afford the children’s school fees she bred her livestock and sold them for money. Soon after losing her first husband, she remarried and had four more children, who are all attending school.

 

Since learning to crochet baskets, the biggest difference in Agatha’s life is the income. She has been able to send all of her children to school, buy more livestock and get household utensils. Previously the home her family lived in was roofed with grass, so during rain, the home would flood. Using the money she makes from crocheting, Agatha has been able to buy a roof for their home.

 

Agatha feels extremely happy that she is able to provide for her children and can comfortably provide for the family’s basic needs.