Kagimbi Support Group has been empowered by voluntary savings and loan training. Each of the 19 group members contributes 50 Kenyan shillings (about $0.44 USD) during the weekly group meetings. The contributions are carefully entered into a ledger and if any of the members find themselves in need of financial assistance, they can apply for a loan from the group.
Rose Mwende is one of those group members.
After making contributions to the group for 6 months, she borrowed a loan of 6,000 shillings (about $53 USD) to start a small business. With the loan, Rose was able to pay a business registration fee to the government and buy a few items to start her inventory.
At first, business did not pick up because she had a small stock and hadn’t built up her clientele yet. She became very discouraged and considered giving up her business. But when her support group leader, Agata Andriano, learned how Rose was feeling, she visited her to pray with her. She also linked Rose to a micro finance institution that gave her an additional loan of 10,000 shillings (about $90 USD), which she used to stock up on more inventory. She was able to acquire enough of a variety that more customers began coming to her shop!
Rose now makes a profit of about 400 shillings (around $4 USD) daily from the sales. This income allows her to pay rent, cover school fees for her children, and meet the basic needs of her family.
When Kiunga Project Officer Mbae Leon visited Rose, she could not hide her joy!
She told him, “The savings and loan activities have really changed our lives. Many of us have started our own small businesses, which we attend to everyday, earning some cash so that we can feed our families”
When asked how the support group has helped her in adhering to treatment, she said:
“When I joined the support group, I learned the importance of sticking together. When I was alone, I felt so down. Sometimes I skipped my medication because I did not have someone to encourage me. But through the support of the group, I have been able to consistently adhere to treatment. I feel strong and I can do my work. I value my group members and I’m committed to the welfare of the group. Asanteni sana Kiunga kwa sababu ya kutuunganisha pamoja!” (Translation: Thank you very much, Kiunga, for joining us together!)