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From the Lake to the Market: 
How JMT Sacco Transformed Mukisa Oliva Mariam's Life

At Masese Landing Site in Jinja, as the early morning boats dock from the islands, you will find Mukisa Oliva Mariam busy at work. She is not just a trader — she is a mother, a provider, and a proud long-term member of Jinja Mafubira Teachers' Sacco (JMT Sacco).

Her story is one of many that shows what happens when a local Sacco truly stands with its people.

Like many women at the landing site, Mukisa started small. She knew cassava from the Lake Victoria Islands — especially Buvuma — was on high demand on the mainland. But she lacked enough capital to buy in bulk. Buying a few sacks at a time meant low profit and constant struggle.

Through JMT Sacco, Mukisa was able to access capital. With a loan from the Sacco, she could now travel and buy many sacks of fresh cassava directly from the islands.

She then supplies this cassava to her loyal clients — traders who take it to major markets like Jinja Central Market, Bugembe Market, Mafubira Market, Namulesa Market, and beyond.

What started as a small hustle has now become a steady, reliable business chain: From Buvuma Island, to Masese Landing Site, to markets across Jinja City.

Today, Mukisa has a lot to testify about JMT Sacco. Her business does not just feed the market; it feeds her family.

With the profits from her cassava business, she is able to:
  • - Look after her family with dignity
  • - Pay school fees for her school-going children
  • - Provide medication and other basic needs for the home

She no longer worries about where the next meal or school fees will come from. She plans, she saves, and she grows

For Mukisa, JMT Sacco is not just a place to borrow money. It is a partner. It believed in her when banks would not. It gave her capital, and she turned it into a livelihood.

Her story proves what JMT Sacco stands for — empowering low-income earners to save with purpose, borrow with confidence, and build a better future for their families.

“JMT Sacco has helped me. From one loan, my business grew. My children go to school. My family is okay. I am proud to be a member.” — Mukisa Oliva Mariam





 

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