From Struggle to Stability: This Thanksgiving, We Celebrate Sellina’s Journey

Journey

Poverty has a way of dimming potential. It can make people appear as though they are not trying hard enough, when in reality, they are doing everything they can to survive with the little they have. This is especially true in rural communities where opportunities are even more scarce. For 32-year-old Sellina Kambani from Kachigamba Village, this was her reality.

For 11 years, Sellina worked as a farming tenant. Despite long days of hard labor, she had little to show for it. To supplement her income, she also ran a small zitumbuwa (fried banana fritter) business, but with just MK10,000 (about $6 USD) in startup capital, it was inconsistent and could not sustain her family.

That all changed in 2022 when Sellina joined Orant’s Financially Empowering Microloans (FEM) program. She received a loan of MK150,000 (around $90 USD) and used it to open a tearoom in her community.

“I thought it was wise to diversify,” Sellina explains. “One business alone wasn't enough, so I started baking scones and Banana fritters to sell alongside the tea.”

With every cup of tea and baked goods she sold, Sellina was quietly saving, fueling a dream that had seemed out of reach: building a better home for her family.

“My old house was very small and grass-thatched. I wanted something more secure, with an iron sheet roof,” she says.

After months of disciplined saving, Sellina accomplished her goal. She built a new house with burnt bricks and iron sheets, providing a  comfortable home for her family.

But she didn’t stop there.

To create more financial security, Sellina ventured into buying and selling maize. From the profits, she bought three goats and, more recently, a pig that is now expecting piglets.

“These animals will help me during rainy days,” she says with a proud smile.

Her growing business also allows her to invest in farming without physically working the land. Instead, she hires others to help in the fields, giving her more time to care for her children and run her businesses. Most importantly, she can now afford to send her daughter to secondary school, covering school fees and other expenses with ease.

Perhaps the most inspiring part of Sellina’s journey is how she continues to dream forward.

With her savings, she recently bought a computer, which she placed in a shop to offer basic computer lessons to people in her community. Her goal is to buy a printer soon, so she can provide printing and photocopying services and eventually, she wants to turn part of the space into a barbershop.

This Thanksgiving, we are deeply grateful for stories like Sellina’s. Her resilience, resourcefulness, and drive show what’s possible when someone is given just a small opportunity and how far a bit of support can go.

To our donors and supporters: Thank you. You are the reason Sellina was able to transform her life and the lives of her children. Your generosity is not just changing stories, It is rewriting futures.

From all of us at Orant Charities Africa, Happy Thanksgiving!