‘I think of the happy faces of my mum and children’
Working as a support staff in a school, Ugandan expat Grace Nannungi, 30, survives on just a meal of rice and chicken curry daily, which she cooks in advance for an entire week. She earns Dh1,500 a month.
“I have a five-year old son, David, and have to support my brother’s seven-year-old daughter, Bushra. I have a 68-year-old mother back home in Kampala. So I send Dh400 to my mum and Dh900 for the food, clothes and education of the kids, setting aside just Dh200 for myself every month,” Nannungi says.
She lives in a shared accommodation provided by her company and gets transport to and from work. She spends Dh50 a month on personal transport, which is basically going to the church once a week in the bus. “The WiFi connection costs me Dh25 and as we can no longer make video calls, I make do with listening to my son’s or niece’s voice on the audio chat. We exchange photographs and I also buy a local phone card for about Dh30 per month. What is left of the Dh200 is spent on buying toiletries. That is about all,” Nannungi says.
Although it is a tough act, there is no trace of sadness on her face.
“I haven’t gone for an outing other than a church service for the last six months,” she adds.
Giving a break-up of her monthly budget, Nannungi says: “I buy 5kg of rice that lasts me for three months. It costs me about Dh30 a bag, which means Dh10 per month. The chicken, spices and oil cost me about Dh70-Dh90 per month. It is boring but that is the only way I can save.”
She is tempted to buy hair clips and accessories and eat out, but stops herself. “Once in three months, I do keep an extra Dh100 to indulge a little with my friends. There are times when we lend money to each other and have loans to pay back. But I try and stick to the Dh200 a month budget. I think of the happy faces of my mum and the kids and feel greatly satisfied that they are well looked after and well fed,” Nannungi says.