Tusiime Tassey wanted a new house in the village so much that she managed to put away 10,000 shillings (about $6) at every bead sale, despite supporting her family of 6 and paying rent on a small one-room house. As the village became closer to reality she managed to save 50,000 (about $27) at each sale. With typical focus, she says, "It was not difficult to save because I want it. If I can eat posho (a maize mush) and get something I want, that is what I'll do. I can eat meat in the new house!" Tassey has four children ages 14, 13, and 11 (twins). Her sister, who is unmarried and does not have a job, lives with her. Prior to the village, her house was in a slum in Nomongo, a neighborhood of Kampala. Her house was impeccably neat, though there was "no electricity, no water, no kitchen, no bathroom," as she tells it. There were two bunk beds that each slept two people, and two of the children slept on the floor. Tassey managed to buy a small sofa and two chairs with her bead money, and she is very proud of her furniture.

Tassey's parents fled Rwanda to escape the genocide; she was born in Uganda and thinks of it as her home, but she often refers to herself as a refugee. Her husband, from whom she was separated, died in 2001, probably of AIDS. She is being treated with ARVs, but she laments that the drugs are making her very large. She has been the victim of the AIDS stigma in Uganda, partially because the skin on her legs is very rough and mottled. "People look at my skin and don't like me. They just see HIV. But we are still alive." She worries about her children, who are tiny and not healthy.

Despite these worries, Tassey is always surrounded by the other beaders and is an obvious leader. They are drawn to her undaunted spirit of life, her enthusiasm and her smile.

And now that she is building a house in the village, her whole world has opened up. "When they told me, I was so joyful. I was in tears and shaking. Me, a poor refugee for 30 years with nothing in this world, no education," she says. "Never in my life did I think I would own a house! It is a dream, a miracle." And then she dreams some more: "And now I dream I drive alone - God gave me a house, so He will give me a car, and I will learn how to drive, though I fear to drive. And maybe I will come to America!"

Tassey chose Design C2 for her house because she has a big family and will now be able to separate her children by gender. And she will have room to make beads and other things. She would like to start a shop selling produce, and maybe some day to be a food wholesaler selling to other small shops.

The first thing she will do when her house is built is plant a mango tree, and perhaps a pawpaw tree. "When they say, 'This is Tassey's house, I will plant. I will dig beans. I will have a nice latrine, where I don't have to mix with others. I will keep the children in a nice way." Tassey also wants a fence around the village because she still fears genocide will return.

She has no fears about the mix of tribes in the village because she is from another tribe all together. "We are all people," she says with her characteristic smile.

The first day the beaders were allowed to dig on the land, Tassey was there swinging a hoe to dig the foundation supports. She was not in the first group of beaders to have a house - hers will follow in May - but she came anyway to help, despite her illness. "You see how much I want it!"