Micro Loans For Women Impacted by HIV/AIDS, Zambia

We want to say a big thank you! Your support and caring for Zambian women and their families is creating a legacy of empowered women, and a stronger more self-reliant community in Zambia. Over the last year, our micro loans program has grown and continues to strengthen our community in Zambia. A summary of new and ongoing program activities is given below. 

New Program activities: Withyour support, we provided 53 new loans last month, bringing the total number of active loans to 400.In addition, 257 new women were provided with business training. We believe that this business training goes a long way in helping first time women entrepreneurs run successful businesses. Since most trainees have never been to school and many do not know how to read or write, training is participative, hands-on and is conducted in the local language. Successful graduates acquire a set of skills that have applicability in diverse areas, in addition to running a business. Topics covered during this five-day intensive training are: market investigation regarding the kind of business they would like to start, purchasing raw materials, costing, money management that includes bookkeeping and accounting, pricing, profile of customers, goal setting, and the creation of a simple business plan. If the women understand basic business principles and feel confident about running a business they qualify and are provided with loan capital to start a business. Each loan recipient is provided with three successive loans. At the end of this three-loan period (about 20-24 months), we expect loan recipients to have built enough capital and expertise to run their business on their own.      

Ongoing program activities: In addition to the new program activities, ongoing program activities are given below:    

• Weekly Meetings: All 400 women on our program meet weekly to make repayments, learn from other business owners, and discuss issues of importance such as HIV prevention and care, importance of school, and challenges faced in running their businesses.  
• On site visits: All businesses are visited on site by the loans officer approximately once a month. The loans officer provides business advice on display, encourages maintenance of accounts, book keeping, inventory management etc.  
• Mentoring club: A few women have formed a club to mentor new loans recipients, women whose businesses may be struggling, and women facing challenges in running their businesses. Club members mentor and encourage loan recipients to continue to work hard and to expand their businesses.
• Loan repayments: Loan repayment rates are between 88-90% despite the difficult circumstances faced by most women. In June 2017, 25 loans had to be written off as 15 women moved to a different location and were not reachable and 10 businesses failed so that the women were not able to make repayments.  

Impact of this program: Program activities have resulted in a stronger community as loan recipients are can now pay for food, rent, medicines and school expenses. In addition, families are more knowledgeable about HIV prevention, improve in health with better nutrition, and more children are attending school. Also, the women build networks of mutual support and feel empowered both in economic and social terms. We are proud of our women entrepreneurs who have become an asset to their community. 

Thanks for giving the gift of empowerment to women in Zambia. 

Links:

• About business training
• Achievements of our women entrepreneurs
• About our micro loans program