LUDIA OCHIENG -19 years
Ludia and Patrick Ochieng live in a modest one-roomed mudhouse in Suna West, Migori County as man and wife. She’s 19, he’s 21. Their son, George Innocent is almost two years old. “I named him Innocent because he is the most polite child ever, never cries, always happy, and could never harm a fly.” She says, leaning into the feathers of mother’s love.
Their domestic situation is fraught with the challenges of finance. “He’d sulk when I’d ask him for money,” Ludia says of her husband. “I hated that I’d have to wait for him to come back home for him to give me money to buy a matchbox. All I seemed to do with my life was wait and ask, wait and ask.” He worked as a motorbike taxi rider, not earning much himself. “It’s been tough with a baby and all.”
When she discovered Binti Shupavu and started attending their program, she knew that the first thing she needed to do was not add another baby to this situation. One more mouth would sink them. So she immediately got a contraceptive inserted in her arm. She also learned how to make liquid soap from the program and borrowed money from her husband – 350 shillings – to start her soap business.
“We were taught how to budget and save, so I started saving 30 shillings daily. My sayings grew as I sold more soap.” Her domestic situation has changed drastically since she became a businesswoman. “I no longer wait for my husband to come back with food or come with pampers for the baby. I make these decisions alone because I now have the money.”
Her husband appreciates her more, she has noticed. “He no longer sees me as someone who begs or bothers him. Now I’m a partner who participates in our future.” She is categorical that she doesn’t want another child now. “Children are great, but only when they come at the right time,” she says, “otherwise you end up planning around them. You stop your life when they come.” Ludia is categorical about her ambition. “I want to be rich. I want to do everything I can in business to attain this goal, so for now I don’t want anything that will distract me from being rich.” She chuckles.