Many of the older children from within the Namatala slum cannot just sit at home idle when their schools are shut; they look for ways to make some money. John found he could do that by making and selling chapatis.
John is one of our students who now attends the vocational skills schools in the local polytechnic. Before Covid-19 lockdowns, he was set to do his final examinations and get his certificate.
Rather than sit and wait for schools to resume; John is now earning an income on a daily basis. He bakes chapatis – an unleavened flatbread which is a local snack and eaten by the majority of people in our community.
John gets up early in the morning to start, as morning and evening are times when demand is high. After purchasing wheat flour every day, his venture produces a daily profit of 4,000–5000 Ugandan shillings (about £1), depending on his sales.