Kisoro Woman Shares Her Unexpected Turnaround Story Of How She Rose Back Her Collapsing Business

For years, I believed that hard work alone was enough to keep a business alive. I used to tell myself that as long as I woke up early, treated customers well, and kept my shop stocked, everything would be fine. But life taught me a tough lesson: sometimes, no matter how hard you work, things can still fall apart for reasons you cannot explain. My name is Beatrice, born and raised in Kisoro, and this is the story of how my business collapsed right in front of me and how it rose again in a way I never imagined. To read the full story, link on title.

I ran a small retail shop in Kisoro town, selling household items, groceries, and basic supplies. It wasn’t a big shop, but it was enough to feed my family and pay school fees for my two children. For the first three years, things were going well. Customers trusted me, and I had built a strong relationship with suppliers. I would wake up every day with a smile because I knew I had something stable.

Then suddenly, everything changed. It began slowly. Customers who used to buy from me daily started going elsewhere. Some claimed they “just forgot,” while others said they found “cheaper places,” even though I sold at the same prices. Within weeks, my sales dropped so low that I had days where not a single customer entered my shop. At first, I thought it was normal business fluctuation, so I tried to stay calm.

But things kept getting worse.Stock expired on the shelves before being sold. Bread, sugar, soap—everything that used to move quickly started gathering dust. People passed by my shop without even looking inside. I borrowed money hoping the situation would improve, but instead of rising, the business continued sinking. I reached a point where I couldn’t even pay rent. My landlord gave me several warnings, and I knew if things didn’t change, I would lose everything. Click here for more