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Stella's Story

Just a few years ago, Aliso Stella of Ogoloi B Village in Uganda, was ashamed of her life. She struggled with depression as the abject poverty she lived in seemed to have no end. As she shares her story with us, tears make her eyes shine. She wipes them away with a cloth and offers a sly smile that says "this is not the end of the story." She continues on. In 2012, she joined one of Beauty for Ashes Uganda's first cooperatives for single mamas and widows. She met other women who were also single mothers. They began to share life together. They encouraged each other. They empowered one another. They even pooled their meager resources into savings that they called their "lady bank." As these funds grew, they began to take loans to grow their businesses. Most importatly, however, they began to believe the truth that they were loved and worth loving. It became the mantra of all 1,153 mamas in the program. They began to say it to one another. They began to use it as their way of greeting one another in the village. They would see another mama, hold her face lightly, look into her eyes and repeat to another another, "Iminai Ijo. Busakinit Amina Ijo". They became their first english phrases they knew, "You are loved. You are worth loving." Slowly but surely, they began to believe the truth of what God had to say about them and how truly loved they were. Stella began to believe it. She grabbed hold of this truth that no matter what had been done to her, no matter what she had done, none of it kept her from being absolutely loved and worth loving.

Life began to change. Stella continued her story, "I used to go into businesses around town and they would kick me out. They would tell me, 'look at you. Your clothes are ragged. You have nothing nice. We know you don't belong here.' But now, look at me! I look smart, I have my own business and I even have shoes!" She did a little dance and twirled around with the largest smile spread across her face as she showed off her dress and shoes.

Today, Stella not only has lovely shoes and a beautiful dress, but also a thriving garden. She walks to the well 5 times a day just to water her garden because she is passionate about growing food for her family and growing her business to take care of them. She has solar power in her beautifully painted mud home that offers light to her children while they study at night. She is beautiful in every way and her inner beauty simply shines when you speak to her. She knows her value and it shines as she speaks value over other mamas as well.

Beauty for Ashes Uganda is honored to walk with Stella and 1,152 other mamas through 37 women's cooperatives throughout the Teso Region of Uganda. We are passionate about encouraging mamas to know their value and what Jesus says about them, empowering them to learn skills that will help their businesses and lives and walking hand in hand along the way. They are priceless.

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  • $5,000 One-time Goal
  • $0 Still Needed
  • 200 Lives Impacted
  • 0 Days To Go

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Beauty for Ashes Uganda 0
Colorado Springs, CO, US
Beauty for Ashes Uganda seeks to develop mutually transformative relationships in order...
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Beauty for Ashes Uganda
Colorado Springs, CO, US

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Uganda

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Funded - May 11, 2016
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She Is Priceless: Beauty For Ashes Uganda

by Beauty for Ashes Uganda 200 Lives Impacted Uganda

Stella's StoryJust a few years ago, Aliso Stella of Ogoloi B Village in Uganda, was ashamed of her life. She struggled with depression as the abjec...

$6,418 One-time Donations
  • $5,000 One-time Goal
  • $0 Still Needed
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