Elizabeth Byaruhanga
When Elizabeth Byaruhanga’s husband passed away in 1993, she might have become just another sad statistic on a continent overwhelmed with the HIV/AIDS crisis. His death left Elizabeth with an unfinished house, eight children and very few prospects for supporting herself.
“After my husband’s death,” Elizabeth says, “I thought it was the end of the world. I used to cry all the time. But one day, I called my children in and told them, ‘I am going to work. And you will learn to read. You are going to school and you are going to study.’”
In 2002, Elizabeth learned about Opportunity International and its innovative Trust Group group-lending program. She founded the Kabalagala Widows Group Trust Group in Kampala, Uganda. This group of 19 women and one man are rebuilding their lives after each losing a spouse to AIDS.
Through the work of Opportunity International, Elizabeth’s story is repeated thousands of times in Africa — with the potential to help many millions more.
