Micro Loans For Women Impacted by HIV/AIDS, Zambia

Happy Mother's day! This Mother’s day give a gift of empowerment to first time women entrepreneurs who are struggling to take care of their families and pay for school expenses for their children. You can empower women by providing them with training in marketable skills, and loans to start a business.

Last month we celebrated moms and grandmothers everywhere by expanding our micro loans program. Fifty first time entrepreneurs were provided with business training and new loans to start businesses in their community of Matero in Lusaka, Zambia. Over the course of four days, 50 women went through an intensive business training course, at the end which they presented a business plan. All 50 women completed the training successfully and are now putting the business techniques learnt into practice.

Businesses started with these loans are diverse and range from selling groceries, used shoes, used clothing and toys to school jerseys, cell phone covers, light fixtures, batteries, and wedding accessories. For the next two years, the new entrepreneurs will be supported by a strong network of other loan recipients, weekly informational meetings, business mentorship meetings, refresher trainings, and field visits. Earnings from these new businesses help pay for food, rent, medicines, clothing, and school expenses for their children. 

With the addition of these 50 new entrepreneurs, we will have a total of 500 businesses operating in the community. Over the last 10 years, our loans program has helped start over 600 businesses; 70% of which are still operating in the community and helping keep children healthy and in school.

Impact of our Microloans Program

Short term: 

Economic empowerment: earnings from businesses help pay for food, rent, medicines and school expenses. Social empowerment: women build strong social networks, and many become role models and mentors.

Impact on the community: Businesses started add value for the whole community as they: (i) provide increased convenience for residents. Residents have to travel shorter distances and they can purchase in smaller quantities, (ii) are unique and provide an element of luxury to the residents. For e.g. a hair salon that may offer basic hair styling and braiding for girls, (iii) increase in information and skill level as our beneficiaries share their learning, and (iv) change the culture (via savings, men helping in stores run by the women)

Long term:

1. Prevention of HIV: Loan recipients learn about HIV care, treatment and prevention and the importance of voluntary testing and counseling. All of these lead to HIV prevention.   

2. Reduction of stigma associated with HIV: Discussions regarding HIV care and prevention with peers and better knowledge leads to a reduction in the stigma associated with this disease.    

3. Increased attendance at school as the children improve in health due to better care and nutrition. 

To Sum: Earnings from businesses enable several hundred women to take better care of their families, keep children healthy, and pay for school and other household expenses. In addition, new women entrepreneurs have become role models, teachers, and mentors as they share their experiences and knowledge with others in the community.

Thanks for empowering women in Zambia.  

Links:

• About our Micro Loans Program
• The Vision behind our Micro Loans Program
• About Business Training Provided to Loan Recipients

Our Heroes

Today I would like you to meet two women who inspire us every day with their zest for learning new things, running a business, and sharing their experiences with other women in the community. Daisy and Mary are two women in Power of Love’s micro loans program who received business training and a small loan to start a business. As a result of their hard work, their businesses are doing well. Both women are on track with repayments, are able to pay for school expenses, save a small amount each week, and are on the path to self-reliance. Daisy and Mary are our heroes and role models to hundreds of women in their community. We are proud of them as they have been able to break out of the vicious circle of poverty and lack of education despite their difficult circumstances. Here are their stories.

Daisy’s dream is to go ahead in life by taking care of her family and providing a good education for her two children. Life became tough for her when she lost her younger sister to AIDS and she became the sole care giver for her three nieces and nephews. Her husband who drives a taxi, does not earn to meet household expenses. Daisy enrolled in our micro loans program and received business training and a loan, to start a business. Earnings from her business have helped pay for school expenses for the five children under her care. In addition, she is able to save a small amount each week from selling Chitenge (Zambian style skirts) and fabric.  

Mary is married with four children. Life became difficult for her when her husband lost his part-time job. Her children became despondent as they had to miss school. Mary learnt about our micro loans program from a friend who encouraged her to apply for a loan. She received business training and a loan and started selling used toys. She worked hard, and earnings from her business enabled her to pay for school expenses. Her family is happy and grateful for the opportunity provided by the loans program. Her husband helps run the store while he is looking for work.    

Women (like Daisy and Mary) run their businesses in Matero - one of the poorest and largest compounds in Lusaka, Zambia. Most residents of Matero are poor and live on less than $2 per day due to a high incidence of HIV, malaria and TB and unemployment rates upwards of 60%. Businesses operated by women like Daisy and Mary are a valuable resource to the community as residents are able to purchase groceries, household items, and services close to home and in small quantities.

Plan for 2016

At this time, we are raising funds to provide 50 new loans to first time women entrepreneurs. With the addition of 50 new loans we will have a total of over 300 active loans. Please donate generously so we can continue to empower first time women entrepreneurs in Zambia. Your donations will go a long way in helping provide business training, loans, business mentoring and monitoring to women impacted by HIV, and AIDS in Zambia.

As a result of this program, several hundred women are able to take better care of their families, keep children healthy, and pay for school and other household expenses. They provide a valuable service and have become role models, teachers, and mentors for other women (and men) in the community.

Thanks for empowering women in Zambia. 

Links:

• About our Micro Loans Program
• About the Business Training Provided to new entrepreneurs
• Meet two Women who inspire us everyday