Afisa lived on a Tanzanian refugee camp with her husband and children for 6 years. Wanting to improve their living conditions, they moved to Mozambique with the help of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission of Refugees), which gave them food rations for a short time. While there they worked with the local residents to cultivate rented land, which fed their family and enabled them to sell the extra. Eventually they started their own small shop. Afisa is most proud to mention that her children never went hungry and never had to steal to eat, and that she made sure her eldest daughter finished school before getting married.
Afisa was unable to go to school as a child, due to fleeing war in Burundi and living in many places in Tanzania. For this reason she is adamant that her children, especially the girls, will be educated. She knows that education and opportunity are connected.
Afisa never knew of granola before her time at Beautiful Day. She says that since starting the training she has learned ‘how to use time’ and how to organize, arrange and use storage in her home. She does it ‘just like granola’.
