Jesca Makumbi: The Story Of A Successful Gifts?

Working hard, saving up, and things are finally starting to go well when suddenly, an unexpected tragedy occurs and you lose it all… but there is hope. This is the story in Text 1, an online article by a financial aid institution named FINCA (Foundation for International Community Assistance), published in 2012. The purpose of the article is to inform the reader about the story of a successful client, Jesca Makumbi, who has received financial support from the organization after having to spend all her savings on raising her siblings and sending them to school.

This article is a success story about a mother who managed not only to survive through financial constraints but ended up being in a better situation than she was originally in. The
However, the inclusion of her son’s name later connects with how the financial aid helped her son, creating a more personal touch and also reflects on Makumbi’s attitude in life by naming her son “Goodluck”, a positive name that signifies good fortune. The author finishes the introduction with the tragic death of Makumbi’s mother leaving her “with the responsibility of raising her three siblings” which indirectly informs the reader of her three younger siblings and her duty to raise them with little financial support in a less economically developed country. The article then explains the details of Makumbi’s story and how she “knew she had to find a way to contribute to the family’s income.”, being the turning point of the story. FINCA was referred to Makumbi by a neighbor who believed that “it would help her change her life”. Therefore, she follows the neighbor’s advice and takes loans from FINCA which tremendously help her out. She says that being able to send her siblings and son through school have been “her greatest achievements” alongside building a house. This illustrates truly how much she believes in the organization and their support to her. The article ends with the only quotations throughout the entire text which is a quote by Makumbi herself praising FINCA “I’m so proud to be part of FINCA
The author starts the story with a positive tone in the introduction “Life had been going well”, only to juxtapose it with the death of Makumbi’s mother that caused her “pain”. This somber and mournful tone quickly shifts the reader’s mood; a sad and annoyed mood that makes the reader now want to read on to see what happens next. Throughout the rest of the article, a casual and neutral register is used. The author uses this to connect with the reader as genuinely as possible which and evoke a sorrowful mood in the reader, which all contribute to the purpose. However, later, there is a sense of hope when Makumbi’s neighbor says that FINCA could “change her life”. This sense of lingering uncertainty is shortly cut by the confirmation of Makumbi’s current status. She is more successful than she has ever been due to FINCA “Today, Jesca is in her 29th loan cycle with FINCA Tanzania… She’s added another product line to her business.. and can now count on a regular roster of clients.” Her testimonial at the end has a jubilant and grateful tone. She looks back at “her greatest achievements” and shares her view on her current circumstances “I’m so proud to be part of FINCA… my family life wouldn’t be the way it is today” which in turn arouses a delighted and satisfied mood. The change of tone from pre-FINCA to post-FINCA in the