More than once, Choro Lemuson begged the headmaster of her children’s’ school to let her kids remain in class with no uniforms. She could barely afford the school fees for her seven children, let alone uniforms. “I felt very embarrassed for them,” says Choro “but that was the best I could do.” Before receiving a BOMA grant three years ago, Choro had no source of income save from a few goats tended by her husband. She would sometimes sell goats to pay for uniforms and school fees but it was never enough.
Choro Lemuson pictured with 6 of her 7 children in her shop in El-Molo
Now, Choro uses the income from her BOMA business to pay for the uniforms and school fees for all of her children. “I was never able to go to school because my parents didn’t understand the importance of educations,” says Choro, “it’s very important to me that my kids get this opportunity.” Aside from seeing all of her children graduate from school, Choro has big goals for her own improvements. Her plan for the next year is to save enough money to replace the stick walls in her house with stone.
With ambition and the tools to succeed, Choro is one of over 10,000 women BOMA has assisted in escaping the cycle of extreme poverty.