Meet Mama Stella

Mama Stella and a few of her satisfied customers.

Driving on the bumpy dirt roads of Kyebando, it’s hard not to notice the lively group at the same corner everyday, always gathered around a large, warm pot of food. At the center of the action, tending the pot, is Mama Stella, whose smile is somehow bigger than her spoon.

Mama Stella lives in Kyebando and runs a small food stall selling local dishes such as matoke (similar to plantains), posho (cornmeal), meat and greens.  She is never alone, always surrounded by her own children, other kids from the neighborhood, waiting for a small bite to hold them over before dinner. Over the course of a week just about everyone nearby will check in for a home cooked meal and some conversation. The stall is her only source of income but that has never stopped her from feeding those who are unable to pay.  In Uganda, no matter how much food there is, and there’s often very little, everyone eats, everyone shares what they have.

 Like many all over the world Mama Stella has felt the economic impact of Covid. The line at her stall is longer than ever with fewer and fewer able to pay.  Now, with a few children of her own finally heading back to school, Mama Stella could no longer afford tuition for them all and was forced to make a difficult choice about who to send back. Knowing the sacrifice Mama Stella had made for her entire community, we were able to line up a donor looking to pay her generosity back and they are now sponsoring her child’s education. 

 A little goes a long way and small acts of kindness can so often make a huge difference in someone’s life. Share a meal, share a smile, sponsor a child of your own – it’s simple and so rewarding to do something to honor and replicate the generosity and love of women like Mama Stella.