Jumana’s Story

Jumana was 18 when she first came to WEEDO, recommended by one of the local high school teachers. Having finished school she was living at home with her sick sister and two brothers, her father having died in 2021 and her mother having abandoned the children years earlier.  Kindly neighbours offered some free accommodation but with no income the siblings were all responsible for finding their own food and for their other needs.  In so many cases this is the recipe for girls to be drawn into making poor choices. Of necessity they end up in relationships that turn out to be abusive or coercive.  It is a well-worn path to greater problems such as transactional sex, sexual diseases, unwanted pregnancies or all three.

Having arrived at WEEDO Jumana showed a natural aptitude for mathematics and finance. She really enjoyed and benefited from the entrepreneurship classes.  She is a confident communicator and has a particularly strong grasp of English.  We were not surprised when at graduation Jumana secured a job for herself.  She now works as an agent for one of the mobile operators selling data, connectivity and mobile-money. With her business-minded approach and skills that she learned and honed at WEEDO, she is enjoying her work and is confident about the future. This has enabled her to remain with her siblings and not only provide for herself but also for some of the needs of her sick sister.  Perhaps just as important to Jumana is what she has avoided, no longer having to leave home or be reliant on others in relationships where she has little or no ability to make decisions for herself.