By Dr Mike Calvert, York St John University, UK with help from Mary Kiguru from the Sujali Self-Help Group
To see all posts about the group and their work with microcredits, click here
Over the summer two new members, Rispa and Elizabeth, started talking out loans and two more are ready to start. They have been mentioned before and are on their first cycle. The newest members of the group, Lynette and Rosemary either have just started borrowing or are about to start.
Rosemary and her husband have a business selling second hand iron sheetings and building materials and it is doing well. She has not yet borrowed but is looking at the possibility of a second business to supplement their income.
Lynette, Susan’s daughter-in-law, opened a small hotel (read cafe) in July 2014 and it has started well. She needed money to buy a gas cooker and sufficient crockery. There are nearby stores and these provide the customer base. She employs two girls to work for her. Lynette is an ex-teacher and is always being asked for advice on cooking. As a result, she is considering offering cookery classes for those housewives who lack the knowledge. This could be an interesting sideline.
Elizabeth has increased her product range for beauty products and the number of chairs in her salon. At present, she is working alone but there are opportunities there for her to open the salon up to more stylists. She has a good-sized property and could easily accommodate up to 4 stylists.
Rispa was featured in the last blog entry but it is important to say that ultimately this scheme could be life-changing. She currently works in an insurance office in Nairobi and, like many workers, faces a 2hr+ commute into the city every morning beginning early. Being able to work full-time on her greenhouse, chickens, vegetable produce, etc. would enable her to devote all her efforts and energy to her business. At present her and her husband only spend Saturdays working on their plot. She has purchased a storage tank for water which for a modest outlay (KES12,000) will provide her with 15,000 litres of water. She is harvesting the water which drains off her greenhouses. She has two young children and to be able to work on this full-time is her dream.
Current
exchange rate is approximately £1 = KES140 $1 = KES90 €1 = KES110
These platforms have really changed peoples lives, it is an eye opener for those of us who over the years have thought that we can only flourish through white colour jobs
I couldn’t agree more with Wachiuri, these guys are really an inspiration to all of us, what I learn is, you dream is valid and you can make it if you want. again, you need to be proactive and confident for you to succeed in your ventures.