By Alka Subramanian | Executive Director/Founder
Happy Mother's Day!
Thanks as always for empowering women impacted by HIV and AIDS in Zambia. With your help we can continue to provide micro loans, business training and business mentoring to new women entrepreneurs, so they can take better care of their families and keep their children in school.
Our Loans Program is Expanding
Since our last conversation in March 2015, we were able to provide 50 new loans and business training to new women entrepreneurs in our community. Over the course of five days, 50 women went through an intensive business training course, at the end which they presented a business plan to qualify for a loan to start a business. At this time, the women are busy running their new businesses and providing for their families.
With the addition of these 50 loans we now have 275 women running successful to moderately successful businesses in our community in Lusaka, Zambia.
Testimonial
Before providing new loans last month we wanted to assess the impact of our loans program on women who were provided with loans 3-4 years back and to learn from their experiences. Accordingly, we had a long conversation with Amy (name changed) who was among the first set of women to join the program. Women like Amy inspire us every day and continue to inspire new loan beneficiaries. In addition to running and growing their businesses they have become role models and mentor the new women who join the program.
About Amy: Amy graduated from our loans program three years back and is continuing to run the business she started with the help of a micro loan. All her children are in school and she is able to take good care of her family. After completing her loan repayments she continues to come back to mentor new women beneficiaries.
Amy’s story in her own words: I am a 45 year old widow. There are seven people in my household – five children (two are my own), my sister and myself. My sister and the other two children are dependent on me.
I joined Power of Love’s micro loans program and received business training and a small loan to start a business. Before I joined the program, life was difficult as I did not have a means for taking care of my family and paying for school expenses for the children. After I finished a week long business training I started a business selling dressed chicken and cupcakes in my community of Matero. I worked hard, made my loan repayments and saved a small amount each week. My business did well. I was able to take better care of my family (we started eating 2-3 meals per day as compared to just one meal or less per day), and pay for school expenses for all five children. During my training and weekly meeting with the loan officer and other womaen, I learnt the importance of keeping children in school. I know that education is important for getting ahead in life. All my children are attending school and my oldest graduated from High School and has enrolled in the University.
Over time, I expanded my business by purchasing a sewing machine with the next loan. I love working for myself, feel empowered and am confident for a bright future for myself and my family.
After I received a third loan and paid it off (about 19 months after I received my first loan), I graduated from Power of Love’s loans program. Since then, I have been encouraging other women in the community, to start a business, and take their first steps toward self-reliance. In addition, I regularly mentor women who have receive loans and business training from Power of Love, to work hard at their business and make it grow. The Power of Love loan officer tells me that I am one of the best mentors and I am happy for this.
My dream was to have a shop of my own. I continued to save and expand my business. Over the last few years, I saved up enough to build a shop and sell groceries from my shop. At this time, my shop has soap, cooking oil, eggs, candy, bread, cereal, beauty supplies, cookies etc. My dream has come true. I have paid for my oldest child to enroll in the University and have been able to electrify my shop. I will continue to encourage other women to start a business, work hard, and keep their children in school.
Thanks for giving me a chance to be economically independent.
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