Mary

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mary, a refugee from South Sudan, supported her family of 15 by running a business selling roasted peanuts and peanut butter to members of her local church. Mary also bartered her products at a community school in order to enroll her children there. The profits from Mary’s peanut business were barely enough to meet her family’s needs, and the added stress of supporting her family during the pandemic caused Mary’s health to deteriorate significantly.

At this critical point in Mary’s life, RefugePoint began providing Mary and her family with food support, rent assistance, and education support. At the same time, we helped Mary to sign up for a National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) card so that she could access the urgent medical treatment that she needed.

In January 2021, Mary received a smartphone from RefugePoint, and she began using the phone to market her peanut products via WhatsApp by sharing advertisements that her son designed for her.

“A lot has changed in my life. I have hope now. This support has given me strength, and we all as a family feel that there is joy here. Love has been shown to this family, and because of it, we shall carry on,” Mary shared with us when we visited her at her home.