Success Story: Olivia Mirembe

Olivia Mirembe studied until Senior Four, but when her mother died of cancer, her education ended. Her father’s whereabouts were unknown, and at 17, she began working as a housemaid. A man promised to marry her, but after she became pregnant, he disappeared, leaving her to care for her child alone.

“When I was in the hospital to give birth," Olivia explained, "I couldn’t afford the $2 gloves needed for the exam. The nurses wouldn’t even check on me without them. I waited over four hours, feeling completely powerless."

Olivia continued: "Poverty is powerlessness.”

​“I’m so grateful for the training I received. Without it, I’d still be living in misery. Now, I can buy my son clothes, food, and medicine when he’s sick. Seeing him smile and sleep peacefully without crying from hunger gives me peace as a mom.”
         —Olivia

With no education or skills, Olivia struggled to survive. She often went without food, and her baby wore old bedsheets. She moved between relatives' homes, doing housework in exchange for shelter, sometimes being scolded for tending to her child.
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​When the Global Village Connect cosmetology program began, Olivia eagerly learned hairdressing. Customers now prefer her. Olivia went from having no income to earning $3 a day. Her short-term plan is to sell hair extensions to increase her income, and her long-term goal is to open her own shop.

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​Just $480—or $40 a month over a year—covers the tuition for a six-month cosmetology program and provides a way for a young woman to earn a living and break free from the cycle of poverty.
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