Elizabeth lives with her two parents in the slum, the eldest child in her family. Her mother sells charcoal at home, and they also have a commercial water tap, helping to generate some income for the family. During the recent lockdown, Elizabeth has been helping to make a little extra income by selling avocados to neighbours and passers-by.
They buy them from local farmers at a cheaper price then sell them for 300 or 500 shillings each, according to size (500 shillings is roughly 10p sterling). Selling the fruit keeps Elizabeth busy for most of the day and helps her practice numeracy skills, as she needs to count money and give change to her buyers.
In return, her mother gives her a small amount of pocket money at the end of each day, which allows her to buy snacks for next day’s breakfast.